


Uncertainty

by Knevetix



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bill feels an emotion and it wont go away, Bill is walking a very fine line, Bullying, Corruption, Denial, F/M, Fluff, Is bill goin swimmin, Manipulation, Mostly Bills perspective, Possessive vs Protective, Reader thinks Bill is shaped like a friend, cause it looks like hes in de nile, fem!reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2020-11-01 23:49:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 24,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20549753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knevetix/pseuds/Knevetix
Summary: Days turn to months, and months turn to years. Feelings start to change just like the seasons around them.After coming face to face with an uncertain future, and the possibility of a life in stone, before being freed by a human with an unexpected fate. Bill has decided that he's better off being a bit more careful with the way he acts.Or at the very least smarter about his nefarious plans.





	1. Set in Stone

**Author's Note:**

> My main goal for writing this was to fix up something that has been stewing in my head for a while now! I have no real plans for this but to try and formulate a cohesive xReader story off the top of my head. Or maybe write something to satisfy myself among other things.

The woods were a beautiful place. Especially in the early mornings. when the creatures that inhabit them are starting to wake up, the birds are starting to sing, and the crickets are starting to quiet. The sound of the leaves rustling, as the squirrels darted down branches, and leaped between boughs as they defended their territory, and searched for more food. Each sound ringing clearly from the distance as the world went about its daily routine.

It was hard not to notice the small things like this. It had been years since there was anything else for him to focus on. How many years, he wasn't quite sure, He just knew there had been an awful lot of them.  
Normally, the passage of years on the human scale, on the scale of their planet, would pass as merely a blink of an eye for someone like him. For someone who had at this point, seen trillions of these rotations. For someone who has seen the rise and fall of people, towns, cities, empires, planets. For someone who had seen the rise and fall of an entire dimension itself. 

But, it wasn't meant to be enjoyable for him. It was as if the real punishment for his crimes against the multiverse wasn't that he was stuck, painfully still in a stone prison. It was that he was brought to be aware of the passage of time. He was forced to feel its effects, as the sun rose and fell, he could feel the way the air around him chilled. as the seasons passed, he could feel the way moss and ivy further encroached upon the stone surface, before withering back in fear of the cold, only to persist the next spring.  
For him, Sitting still for what felt to be millennia was something he never would have considered a possibility. He was much too active, he felt the need to move, to play, to destroy, way to often to be someone happy with staying in a single spot. Not to mention, having been, what felt like being blinded. He wasn't able to see beyond his general vicinity, and even then he couldn't see much. everything was obscured by leaves that riddled his stone face. The way they rustled and brushed against it when the wind kicked up was almost obnoxiously loud and irritated him beyond belief. 

It didn't help that this loud kind of silence further pushed the idea that he felt terribly lonely. While, Sure, he was never very great with making friends, or maintaining them - His personality being brash, and often chaotically obsessive - He was hard to get along with. Even then, he was still incredibly social. He had the need to talk, constantly had the urge to bother those around him, and yet, here he was trapped in frozen silence for the foreseeable future.  
This was all something he'd have to come to terms with eventually, even if he wasn't fond of the idea of doing so, it needed to be done one way or another. With time he'd come to terms with the fact that there was no way for him to get himself out of this one. No matter how sweetly he talked to the highest of powers, he wouldn't be able to worm his way back into freedom. It only took ten years or so for him to come to this understanding.

It was all pretty rough in his eyes. Being trapped, Being lonely. He was painfully aware of the passage of time, but he'd lost track of how long it had actually been. He would have felt bad for what he'd done if he cared enough, but the time he spent here only made him angrier. days turned into months, and months turned into years.  
After some time he stopped counting years and started counting other things. In the fall he counted how many leaves were left on the trees, at the start of each morning. In the winter he counted how many storms would actually drop snow, and then how many days it took for that snow to melt after the final storm had passed.  
Sometimes, if at all possible to see, through the barren trees in winter, he would count every star visible to him. Each one he could recall by name. But with each passing season, he found himself forgetting about more and more of the universe, outside of the little stone hell, that had become his world. 

The names of stars weren't the only thing he was starting to forget. By now, his initial intentions of even coming to this dimension were slipping from his mind. The rage he felt towards the Pines every moment of his existence after he was nearly physically obliterated, and sent here to live the rest of his natural existence in a hunk of stone, was starting to ebb. Being replaced by a dull ache in the pit of his very being that made him want to scream. 

This was only because he was painfully aware that there was nothing he could do about his predicament. He had to accept the fact that there would be no one local to the town of Gravity Falls, dumb enough to help him. No one cared enough. It wasn't like he's even seen a human being in the time he's been here.  
This patch of the woods was all his own. Empty of everything except himself and the foliage that was trying to claim his stone faces as their own, and succeeding. Its efforts unimpeded by his will. 

It no longer seemed fun.

Trying to bring about any unruly destruction, trying to party the universe to its demise no longer held any appeal to him. It became less of an exciting idea and more of a bitter tang on the edge of his mind. 

The way the seasons changed was the only thing he had to distract himself as he did his best not to wallow in any form of self-pity he might start to feel. If he wasn't careful, he would even call the way the constant shifting of the world around him captivating. He often found himself pulled into an almost trance-like state as he watched the branches sway in the wind, or the leaves fall from the trees. 

It became such a common thing for him to forget his own thoughts in this way, he hardly noticed how he himself was starting to change as a being. Spending so long in this painful isolation, he would have nearly forgotten his own name. The only thing preventing this from happening entirely was that same bitter tang that left him feeling some sort of way about what he originally intended to do. Bill Cipher. Known widely across the Multiverse as a general nuisance and a creature whose only goal is to party the very existence of all living creatures into an unrecognizable goop of nightmares and destroy everything anyone knew about anything. He wasn't sure if that's who he was anymore. 

All of a sudden any uncertainty or doubt that had wormed its way into his mind was squashed like the insignificant ants they were. Of course, that's who he wanted to be. It's who he was meant to be and until recently being just that was what brought him the most joy out of the life he was living. 

It was that very joy that he needed to hold on to. That very feeling that he shouldn't let go of. Because if he did, he was almost certain he’d lose himself and everything he stood for. Lose more than he already had at this point. If he were to allow that to happen, if he were to allow himself to form any sort of significant attachment to anything except his old ways, it should have been to the power he once possessed. The power that was ripped from him by the very humans that filled him with a rage so intense, he couldn't wait to act out on the most violent thoughts he never realized he had.  
He knew the day would come, and when it did, he wasn't sure he’d be able to wait, to rip the Pines apart, and post them up in the forest with the rest of the trees in Oregon.


	2. Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill is wallowing, but then a surprising guest stumbles by.  
Somethings off, and he cant put his finger on it, and its not just because hes stuck in stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be rushed. It feels rushed. I'm sorry about that, I'm just impatient. If I ever get the drive i'll probably revisit and revise.

Bill hadn't realized just how far away from civilization he was.  
It has been years since he even gave the idea of a human a second thought. His awareness of such simple creatures pushed to the back of his mind and all but forgotten about. Hidden away by all the numbers he kept tallied at the front of his consciousness. 

Occasionally he would think about the idea of being free. Wondering what he would do in the event that happened. Even if he remained almost entirely certain that it wasn't possible.  
At the same time the idea was considered, another mental tick resounded. For the hundred forty-seventh time, He thought about freedom. For so long in this place, only a hundred forty-seven, was an amazing feat, though he shouldn't be surprised. He had himself, and he was the most distracting creature he knew. 

He was so deep into his thoughts, his amusement with himself, that he failed to notice the soft thud of distant, uneven footsteps as they approached. One foot after the other, an unsteady beat as something pushed through the undergrowth and approached his spot in the woods. It took him a moment to notice them, and when he did, he was focused on them like a vicious dog in a kennel. All of his attention snapped to the sounds of the steps, and eventually to the sight of the young girl that stepped into view. 

All at once, his nearly forgotten rage flooded back into him. He was here, sitting in this stone, all but rotting, and the humans were always more than capable of finding him. It further drove a nail into a surprisingly familiar bitterness he tried to avoid. No one cared enough. He opened this can of worms and now he had to lie in it. 

The child couldn't be any older than twelve. Her hair was brushed out of her face and held in place with a bright pink headband that matched the book bag she wore in color. The splashes so bright it almost hurt his eyes to look at.  
She wore the bookbag backward, so it was over her stomach rather than her back, and in her hands, she was clutching a stick almost as long as she was tall, as if it was the only thing that could keep her alive. 

The look on her face was more than enough to tell him that she was here with a purpose. But he couldn't pinpoint what it possibly could be.  
Bill focused on her. The first human who had come into contact with this place since he got here. Closely examining each detail. The way every strand of her hair splayed in different directions, the way her eyes flitted over the lump of foliage that had overtaken the statue.  
She looked fairly normal, as far as human children go. Her hair was messy and her knees were dirty, skinned from what he could only assume was a fall in the wrong spot.  
She had a few scratches covering her legs from the thorn bushes that were randomly scattered around the forest. 

Her movements were dainty, she almost looked as if she’d shatter if she set her foot down wrong. She didn't take her eyes off of the statue as she moved closer, and for a moment Bill swore he could have seen a hint of familiarity in her eyes, but as she stepped into the sunlight that filtered into the clearing, he became distracted by the way what originally seemed to be, simple, light brown eyes, lit up into a brilliant, honey golden color.  
As she stepped closer she set down the stick, and then let the bookbag slide down her arms, to the ground after it. The closer she got the better he could see her. And it really took the cake for him when she reached out to grasp the vines that covered his face, and with a few tugs with which she clearly struggled, she’d rip the vines free of the stone. Landing firmly in the dirt on her rear, and staring blankly at the piece she had revealed. His eye.  
A pleased grin spread across her features, and she quickly went to work on pulling the rest of the foliage off of his form. Her mouth was moving, and for a moment, he didn't process that she was saying words, before an all too pleased, all too comfortable tone hit his consciousness. 

“I’ve been looking for you.” 

He scoffed inwardly, and if he had an eye to roll, he would have done so. Though he couldn't hold back the surprise that riddled his thoughts with uncertainty.  
She’s been looking for him. A girl he’s never seen before in his life, who couldn't be no older than the Pines kids were, the day he almost died, has been looking for him. 

When she had finished ripping the vines free from him, she’d carry the ripped foliage off to the edge of the clearing, discarding it out of the way, before returning to her bag and stick. Planting herself in the dirt in front of him. 

Curiosity was evident in her gaze, and her head was tilted to the side just a tad as she blinked at him. Her lips pursed as she tried to find some sort of words to explain herself. 

“I’ve been having dreams about you.” She mused, tilting her head back a tad to avert her gaze up towards the sky, but her view was interrupted by the top of that stone hat. “I moved here a year or so ago, and that's when it started. Every night. It was hard to deal with, they were scary at first. But now I know I have nothing to worry about.”

She reached for her bag and pulled out a snack. Starting to pick silently as the silence that followed her words droned on. But this time, Bill realized, it was much more comfortable. It was much nicer to sit in silence with someone else than it was to suffer alone.  
At the very least, she had gotten rid of those vines for him. Something he should be thankful for. 

After a moment the girl looked up, a sweet smile plastered across her features as she fixed her eyes on the stone. He couldn't help but wonder what she was about to do, but the next words that left her mouth would have had him shaking, whether it was with laughter or something else, he had no idea. 

“You don't have to be alone anymore.”


	3. Surprised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are frustrating. Who knows what they mean, and why do they exist?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point im just vomiting words onto a document. And you all are bearing the brunt of this sickness.

Bill found his days were becoming significantly less tedious since you’ve arrived. He was surprised that he had started to accept your presence, but as time went on, the sound of your voice became a much more pleasant sound, than the rustling of the branches overhead.  
Things didn't draw together as much as they used to. The days were, now, individual days. Time became a concept to his mind as he pondered if you were going to return the next one. Though with time, he found you would return, so far, every day, without fail. 

At first, your constant cheer irritated him. He wasn't happy with the way you were so unbothered by everything. How you looked at every living thing you stumbled across as if it were another soul-bearing creature. And while to an extent, your excitement was often contagious, and it took weeks for him to even begin to accept your existence. 

“I hope you don't mind I’m a little early.” Your cheery voice reached him before the sight of you did, as you trudge through the fresh-green undergrowth and found your way into the clearing. Your ever-familiar bag hanging over your shoulder, the once obnoxiously bright color fading to something dirty and dull, after so much time in the sun.  
“It's Saturday! I don't have anything to do, so I thought I'd come see you.” With what Bill considered the least graceful motion he’d ever witnessed, you skipped out of the trees and let yourself fall harshly into a sitting position in front of the statue. Your back pressed against the smooth stone surface.  
The warmth of your person seeped into the stone like an invasive creature. Chasing away the cold that had gripped it previously. 

You didn't say much after you sat down, letting the back of your head rest against the stone as you stared up towards the sky. Your hands resting in the grass beside you.  
The clearing had become much cleaner since you arrived, much more, lively it seemed. As if you spending time there had popped some unseen bubble that kept the creatures of the woods away. Occasionally a few animals would actually stop to investigate the statue as they passed, giving it a few sniffs around the base before they continued on their way.  
Part of him was also grateful for this, you had given him new ways to alleviate the boredom that held him so tightly. But another part of him was envious of the way woodland creatures could come and go as he pleased. 

He pondered on this thought but was suddenly snapped back into attention when you let out a loud squeal, and he saw your hand waving wildly as you jumped to your feet and started brushing your arm off in frantic motions.  
At first, he couldn't figure out what had happened, but as he examined the situation more closely, he spotted a large garden spider at your feet. You must have walked through its web without noticing, given the jacket you wore, it wouldn't have been hard. 

Any normal child, Bill believed, would have sworn off the woods then and there. Leaving and never returning for fear of having to deal with such a big spider again. But instead, you moved towards the spider with a pencil you had retrieved from your bag, and with gentle prodding, and occasionally, flicking the spider with it, sending the arachnid a few feet or so in a direction away from yourself, you chased it off into the woods. Apologizing to it for causing it any sort of distress, before you returned to your spot at the base of the statue. 

“I might be late tomorrow.” you chimed as you sat back down, brushing off your arm again as if the spider was still there. “It's Sunday and my mother wants me to go to church with her, and then go to visit family.” 

Bill couldn't stop the distaste that pooled inside him. You being late meant that you were likely going to be there, when it was closer to dark, and he would hate for something bad to happen to you on your way back. He’d hate to lose the first bit of company he’s had in years. 

“For now, though.” you waved your hand as you spoke. “I figured I’d fill you in on some things! I can only assume you being stuck out here in the woods means you’ve missed a lot. And while I may be young, I'm not dumb. I know how to connect the dots.” as you said that, you put your index fingers up, then put them together. Your face scrunched up as you watched your fingertips, and for a moment you became distracted. As you focused beyond your fingers, and watched the way they seemed to merge, without touching, forming a whole new, disembodied, double-ended finger in the middle. 

Bill found your animated manner of speaking to be amusing, and your lack of a significant attention span even more so. It was something interesting to watch, compared to the seemingly constant, looping movement of the branches. 

You did indeed fill him in on a few things.  
The first being, You lived in town now. On the edge of it in a house that was relatively new, and since what people were calling the ‘odd-apocalypse’ which is something you still didn't fully grasp yet, a few people had decided to move permanently to town. And an influx of tourists after news of the strange events had led to a suitable environment for the town to grow.  
The second, the Mystery Shack was your favorite place to hang out. You had made friends with the owners, who were relatively new to owning the shack. A set of twins, you commented, one boy and one girl. Both in their late twenties. Bill noted that you must be talking about the Pines Twins, Dipper, and Mabel, and that if he got the chance to get out of here, he knew exactly where they’d be. Though he didn't like the idea that you were friends with them.  
The next thing you said surprised him.  
You had asked the twins about him. Or more so, about the statue, about your dreams. You explained to him that the twins were oddly cautious of you at first, That something about you put them off, especially when you asked about the statue, and they had explained who he was and the things he had done. But you had firmly planted yourself in the belief that things which happened before you were born, were none of your business. You told him you promised he wouldn't have to be alone anymore, and that for some reason you knew you were meant to be his friend. So you were going to stick by that promise no matter what. 

The rest of what you had said slipped past him. He had found himself stuck in the surprise. Even though most of your words were obviously childish ramblings, he couldn't deny that there was a hint of wisdom behind what you had said. But even then, you knew he was the cause of terrible things, and still decided you were going to be accepting of him. Something he found almost terrifyingly strange.  
The longer he thought about those words, the more confused he started to get. Especially since the idea of having a friend brought back that familiar pang. One that he wanted nothing to do with at first.  
One that he, by the end of your informational spiel, had decided, was not that bad.


	4. Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill comes to an amazing realization during todays little hangout session.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will attempt to update this as often as possible. There will be no set schedule for updates, but hopefully the updates will happen more than twice a week.

“Four-thirty! On the dot, Per usual!” You exclaimed as you popped out of the woods with your bag being launched towards the statue. Bill would have winced, but you’ve done this almost hundreds of times now, and he wasn't capable of moving. He knew you wouldn't hit the statue with it.

You’d been visiting him since early spring, And now, it was starting to turn to summer once more. He watched you as you sat in your usual spot. Over the weekend, you had brought some things to the clearing with you. The lid to a plastic storage bin, one that was large enough for you to sit on, and stretch your legs out in front of you without touching the grass, and an outdoor cushion to be set on top of that bin. One that, as you had arrived with it, confessed you’d stolen from your neighbors garden swing during a thunderstorm.  
He had to admit that your timing of the theft was a pretty decent idea. It would be believable that it could have been blown away during the storm, and it wouldn't be blamed on you without a reason. But since you’d taken it, you haven't given any news on that subject. 

“And to think I'm late for school every day!” You laughed, and leaned back against the stone. Pulling your bag towards you with a lopsided grin. “Though I don't care too much for getting there until everyone else is already in class. It's easier to avoid the mean kids.” 

Bill only had a vague idea of what you meant by ‘mean kids’. He assumed it had something to do with bullies, but you never elaborated, and he wasn't capable of pressing the issue. Though, he believed that if it was a big enough problem, you would speak to him about it. You had already told him a lot about the way you see the world, even if you hadn't realized it. You often complained about school, but occasionally you would whine about issues between your parents, that you didn't quite understand, but worried you nonetheless.  
Bill started to become lost in his thoughts as you rambled on about your day at school. Which was, as usual, not very eventful, but you had mentioned something about some kids putting stink-bombs in the main office, which pulled him back in just long enough to be amused about it, before he was back to pondering things.  
He couldn't understand why he was so concerned about some of the things you had to say. He never really gave humans a second thought unless they had something to offer him, or if they had something he needed. Like the journals, or the ability to build a functioning portal. WIth you though, things were a bit different. He found himself enjoying your company and worrying when you left a little too close to sunset for him to be sure you’d make it home before dark. Though after a moment of pondering, he settled on it being that you had something he needed, the ability to provide entertainment, in the dull world he was currently in. 

Once he managed to reel his thoughts in, he noticed that you had stopped talking. A book was in your lap, but you had your eyes fixed on the statue. He barely gave your appearance a second thought, but now that you were staring directly at him, with a strange intensity in your eyes, he couldn't help but notice how unnatural their color seemed for a human.  
Your Irises were bright and gold, and it sort of unsettled him. But it also brought back that formerly squashed hope that he’d get out of here.  
Whatever it was, something meant for you to be here. Some higher power had brought you into this world for the sole purpose of aiding him. 

“I wonder what they would say if they knew I was out here, talking to a statue.” As you said, the almost solemn sounding tone in your voice made him realize that intensity wasn't you realizing some sort of divine purpose, it was you worrying over the opinions of others. “I know one of them had followed me to the edge of the woods.” You mumbled, tilting your head to the side a tad. 

Bill found himself irritated by how concerned you were over such a trivial matter. Why would you be concerned with what some aimless human child was up to? You were capable of much, much more. He wanted to knock you upside the head and explain everything he’d come to realize. You were meant to be more than just some bolt in the machine. You were one of the gears themselves. One of the integral pieces needed for everything to run smoothly, and as far as he was concerned, the most important piece to his eternal game.  
Your purpose was to free him so that he could return to the state of glory he was once in.  
He wished he could tell you about the things he was realizing. He wished he could show you just what he was capable of. What the both of you would be capable of, once you learned the way things worked. 

Soon, you turned your attention to your book. Flipping it open to the most recent page and starting to read. Pulling your knees up towards your chest a bit, tucked up into yourself in the most comfortable position you could manage. He realized he’d need to work you up to such a revelation. That it would be overwhelming for you to have such knowledge thrown on you all at once. After all, he’d hate to scare you away, once he finally got the chance. 

Once things started to settle down in his head, he turned his attention to the words on the pages. Reading along with you, albeit, he finished each page long before you had. He found this peaceful state to be obnoxious compared to the excitement he just experienced, but not enough so that he detested it completely. He's sure that once he had the things he needed in place, he’d be more than willing to continue such small moments, even if only for the sake of keeping you content with being around him. 

By the time you had finished reading a chapter or two, you’d lost interest in your book. Tossing a sticky note between the pages to act as a bookmark before you tucked it into your bag, and looked towards the sky. The heat of the day was starting to fade as the sun got lower in the sky. And you sling your bag over your shoulder as you reached out to touch the statue. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, friend.” you smiled softly before you turned to head off into the woods. 

Bill found himself eagerly awaiting your return, and wondered how long it would be before he’d finally get the chance to talk to you properly.


	5. Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its been a few years since Reader first started interacting with the statue. But recently something happened, and Bill isn't sure why he's feeling about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is moreso just filler. It started as a vaguely related free-write that I was using to get my brain working before I started working on the next real chapters, but I made myself sad! so you get to deal with it too!

As time went on, some things were certainly starting to change. Even as the years passed, your visits remained as regular as ever, and any time you felt you wouldn't be able to make it, you’d warn him. The longest he’d gone without seeing you was a week. 

Your absence was due to the fact that mother had passed due to an illness. It was something that you couldn't bring yourself to properly talk about without getting upset in some sort of way. Bill noted this, as every time you had tried to bring it up, your voice would get shaky and your eyes would start to water. Even before your mother had actually died, you explained that you were worried about her, as her health had been failing her recently, and due to such, she’d been out of work. While your father took up more hours to make up for the lack of a second income, you were left to tend to your ailing mother. 

Bill could tell that you were shaken by the situation. You’d become more dejected than normal. You found it harder to maintain your usual, playful nature, even when you had some curious creatures to interact with in the clearing, and your visits to the clearing had become shorter as it got worse. 

Despite it all, you still managed to visit the statue as usual. Even if you couldnt bring yourself to say anything, you at the very least, hung around for a little while, before dismissing yourself to go take care of the things you needed to do.

“I can't stay for long.” Your voice was much softer than it had been recently, and as it had the past few weeks, it lacked the playful nature he had come to miss so dearly.   
“As you know my mothers been sick.” You had to pause to steady your breathing. The way your chest heaved was accentuated by the bulky coat you wore, rather than concealed. “My dad had to take her back to the hospital this morning. I-” you paused again. A look of pain contorting what had been an otherwise peaceful, yet distant expression. “My father doesn't believe me, But I know-My mom isn't going to make it through the night. I wanted to see her before she was gone.” 

Bill felt like a part of him was twisted to the point of nearly snapping when he saw the way your eyes glazed, as tears threatened to fall from your eyes. It was the same kind of feeling a child gets when looking at a sad puppy. Your nose was red and a bit runny from the cold. Your cheeks bitten by the winter air. Your eyes puffy from where you’d been crying previously. Under the mass of the coat you wore, and the scarf worn around your neck, You almost looked as dainty and pathetic as you had when you were younger, when you first stumbled into the clearing. He hated seeing that. It hurt him in a way he couldn't describe, you looked pathetic, and he wanted it to stop. 

“I don't know-” You paused to stop your voice from cracking. “Why,” You continued without restarting, but still had to end up pausing again. “I'm so sure of this-But- I just wanted to let you know. I might not be around for a while. I’ll just need time to myself is all. But I’ll be back.” 

The pit that formed in the depths of his being that day, that was when Bill sort of regretted investing his attention into your presence. He knew he’d have never been able to stop you from coming around, but he didn't have to let himself get attached to you in the way that he had.   
As you predicted, your mother had passed that night, and you didn't return to the clearing for a week. 

When you returned it was a friday night, and you had brought something new with you. A large duffle bag full of blankets and a tarp. Laying down the tarp first, you placed a few of the blankets ontop of it. two of themyou used to make a small mat at the base of the statue. Another, you draped around the triangular form, before pinning it to itself to hold it in place, and a final one, you wrapped around yourself, even though you were bundled up in a coat, a scarf, and all.  
Giving the statue a blanket like that was such a small gesture. Bill thought it felt like it was your way of saying sorry for leaving him alone like you had, but you never addressed the topic of any sort of apology, nor would you ever mention your mother to him again.  
That night, You curled up in the nest of blankets you had made as the sun set, and allowed yourself to drift off to sleep at the base of the statue. Your back pressed against the cold stone, as if you were relying on him to ensure nothing tried to sneak up on you while you slept. 

He didnt realize it at first, but as he scanned the clearing while nearly obsessivly observing every little detail the surrounding woods had to offer, He did just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've put together a vague outline in my head, of how this will pan out. Though, the keyword here is vague.   
Chapters will be divided into different phases, so to say, the current phase, being Bill, still in the stone, only being able to watch as the reader interacts with the world around him. My hands permitting, this will draw to a close soon.
> 
> There will probably be more filler chapters like this one. I have no impulse control but luckily those who are actually enjoying this get more content out of it.   
For the real chapters, I aim to have more than a thousand words, but for these little filler bits, they'll typically be less than a thousand.


	6. Impatient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill is starting to grow tired of all the waiting. He'd much rather be out of this statue, and back in business, as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not only does the title hint at most of bill's attitude during the chapter but it also hints at my behavior! I have no patience.

Bill was starting to get impatient, with you following through with your purpose. It has been years since you first started visiting the statue. 

With the time you spent there, you had started to bring quite a few changes to the clearing. Ones he wasn't sure if he was happy with or not. From his perspective, it looked a little messy, your make-shift seat had remained in the same place since it was set there, at the base of the statue, but it was joined by a number of blankets, which were kept safely out of the reach of the weather in an air-tight storage bin, when not in use. Next to it, was a small cooler you had dragged out into the woods with you, how long ago it was, he’d forgotten, but it has been there a while. The blue sides of it were starting to fade, and the white lid was starting to yellow with sun exposure. Inside of it, you had put various drinks and snacks, all things non-perishable, things that wouldn't be hurt by being left out here like this, and you would pick at them while you chattered mindlessly to him and the woods around you. 

As the years had passed, Bill had watched you grow. He was rather surprised to see the way humans changed as they aged. He never really processed it, but, he also was never really bound to look at a single person every day for years. He didn't exactly have a choice but to notice.  
The first thing that stuck out to him, was the way you had abandoned your pink head-band in favor of pulling your hair up with scrunchies or hair ties, eliminating the need to constantly brush it out of your face altogether. Of course, this wasn't a constant thing, occasionally you’d let your hair down to tend to its own devices, and do as it pleased in that moment.  
The next was the way you had started to experiment with a bit of makeup. You wearing anything more than eye-liner or lip gloss was rare, but the way the eyeliner darkened the edges of your eyes only made their unique color all the more noticeable. As if it had made them brighter in a way. 

A dragonfly zipped past the statue, and dragged him out of his thoughts, as he watched it snatch a smaller insect out of the air, before looping back around and bring itself to rest on his outstretched hand. Balanced on the tip of its finger as it chewed at it's freshly caught meal. He was still getting used to the appearance of normal woodland creatures, which had properly started to move into the clearing alongside you.  
He stared at the bug, examining the iridescence of its wings, and taking in the black and green spots that interrupted it's solid, bright blue color. The creature would be gone by the time fall came around, just like a lot of the other insects that had taken up residence in the clearing.  
Thinking over it, His favorite of the creatures to watch had to be the bees. He didn't particularly the way they buzzed lazily around him without a care in the world, but he found it amusing the way they would bump into things, and all around making fools of themselves as they went about their daily lives. Though, He wouldn't have noticed the bees, if you hadn't had brought them up one day. 

“Look at it!” You cooed over the little insect, that had come to rest on a clover that you’d plucked from the edge of the clearing. It buzzed its wings as it stuffed it's face into the center of the flower, hunting for the nectar. “It's so small and so fluffy,”  
You slowly turned to face the statue, and present the flower, and it's plump addition to the statue. It wasn't exactly a small bee, it was decently sized, and when it took off from the flower, it flopped backwards into the open air, before it managed to get its wings working, and bumped directly off of your forehead, before it figured out its pathway and flew off to the far side of the clearing.  
You had referred to the bees lack of coordination as being ‘Pollen Drunk’, though that wasn't exactly it, More accurately it would have been ‘Nectar Drunk’, but you didn't think it sounded as nice when you said it. 

The dragonfly again distracted him from his thoughts, as it lifted off his finger and took off into the woods, when you came trotting out of the woods, emerging from the mouth of what had become a trail, from your constant passing. If you weren't careful, it’d be all the more easy for the ‘mean kids’ to find you there. 

“Sorry I’m late!” You called, as you walked up to the statue, and smoothed out your shirt. “I had to stop by the house and grab a few things.” You gestured towards him with a little black bag you carried in addition to your normal, what used to be pink, book bag. “Then I had to wait till my dad wasn't paying attention so I could get out of the house without having to explain myself.” 

You’d been late more often, recently. Though Bill had barely even realized it, till you would out yourself on it. Though he couldn't blame you, about a year or so ago, your mother had fallen extremely ill, and remained sick for a very long time, before eventually passing. He didn't know the full details, but he could still remember the way something inside him twisted up when he saw how sad you were when he heard the way your voice sounded as it lacked your usual, cheerful tone. The way your eyes were dull with grief as you explained you couldn't stay long that day, because you, against your fathers telling you elsewise, knew she wouldn't last and wanted to see her. How worried he was when you didn't show for a week afterward. 

Bill had almost gotten lost in a very similar twisted feeling before you spoke up again, you’re tone not showing any of the sadness it had that day, though since then, it almost seemed like you had gained a wisdom that no one could properly put into words. 

“I have to do a speech for one of my classes. The teacher wants us to take videos of us going over it so he can get an idea of how much we need to work on public speaking in class. So he can uh, See the difference of us doing it while alone, compared to us presenting in front of everyone, I guess. I hope you don't mind if I do it here.” You explained your actions as you pulled a tripod out of the black bag, extending the legs and jamming the end of them into the dirt, before setting up your phone to record yourself. 

You stood in front of the camera. The way you set it up, it was facing away from the statue, so it would only be capturing you and the woods behind you, while you fix your eyes on the phone and began.  
He didn't listen to very much of your speech, instead, he was focused on the way you fidgeted nervously under the unblinking watchfulness of the camera lens. He watched your eyes as they flitted to and fro, focusing on anything except for the phone. Your thumbs tapping against one another as your gaze came to rest on the statue.  
Based on your behavior, he came to the conclusion that you were nervous about presenting the speech, and he wished that he could offer some sort of encouragement, or give pointers. Particularly in the confidence area.  
Confidence was something you were going to need if you were expected to survive any period of time around him.

As you finished, you stopped the recording, and tucked your phone into the waistband of your shorts, then started to take down the tripod. Knocking the end of the legs against your hand to shake the dirt off.  
“Hmm, I hope I don't get in trouble for getting this dirty,” you mumbled mostly to yourself, as you put it away, and turned your attention to the stone. Staring blankly at it for a moment, before you turned to your bookbag, and pulled out a wire-hair brush. One that was intended for use on grills, to clean them, and while this one certainly looked used, the wires bent out of shape, and in some places missing, it was still clean. The wood that they were anchored to being wet, from where you had cleaned it.  
You placed the end of the brush between your teeth as you pulled out your phone again. Deciding last minute to take some form of before and after shot, before you set to work on scrubbing stray moss and lichen from the stone. Bits that you couldn't get off with the tips of your fingers.

He couldn't deny that the way it felt, to have the clinging foliage scraped off of the stone was nice. He imagined this was the way you felt when you had finally gotten a rock out of your shoe, or when you couldn't get comfortable one day, only to find the source of the irritation was a small piece of a plastic wrapper, that had gotten stuck to the back of your leg.  
Working the brush over the entirety of the statue, you scraped away any foliage you spotted.

“There! How’s that feel?” You grinned, as you took a step back and placed your hands on your hips. “I hope it feels nice. Just looking at that stuff for so long was starting to get on my nerves, And I think your little hat is way too fancy to be covered in moss like that.” You picked stray pieces of moss out of the brush, before putting it back in your bag, then took your seat on the lid.  
“I’ve been thinking about straightening this place up for a while now, If I'm entirely honest.” Your voice held a bit of a wistful tone to it, as you turned your attention inward, to your own thoughts. “Maybe I’ll bring some plants out next spring.” You leaned against the statue and scratched your chin. “Though I’ve never been very good with plants. I do have a cactus, though! And he's doing well. But he’s also only about the size of my thumb” You then held up your thumb for reference, grinning. “But that's a cactus, and they live better when you set them somewhere and forget about them.”

He laughed inwardly at the motion, and noted how you referred to your cactus as a ‘he’. Watching your expression as your eyes fixated on your digit, and you stuck the tip of your tongue out of the corner of your mouth, disrupting your little smile. Part of him wished he could reach out to you, to tell you how he could teach you everything you could ever dream of knowing, and more. But another part of him felt that it would be a lie to promise such a thing, as recently, he hasn't been knowing much of anything, aside from what you told him, and things that have happened to him directly.  
The realization made him feel incredibly weak. How he’d been trapped in stone, left to rot. How he had to rely on a lonely human girl for company and entertainment. It was pathetic, and it filled him with a new kind of anger. One that even as intense as it was, He couldn't bring himself to direct it at you. You were too important for his future causes.  
But his patience could only stretch so far.


	7. Reasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill isn't the only one whos starting to realize things, even if you don't know that certain realizations are happening!

“I saw the Pines family on my way here today.” You chattered softly as you pressed the record button on your phone. Recently you had started to record your one-sided conversations. Claiming that you were starting to forget which things you have and haven't told him yet, and it was easier to simply start a recording and leave it be, to listen to it later and markdown each of the topics since you couldn't ask him.

This kept your hands free, and you could go about your business as you neatened things up around the clearing. Currently, you were tending to the grass around the base of the statue. Tearing it free with your hands so that it was only loose dirt, and no plants were growing up around your lid-seat. 

“They asked me how much I knew about you, and wanted to figure out what I meant when I mentioned you, er, or, the statue I mean. I didn't tell them much, only the things I felt were necessary to satisfy them, and perhaps a lie or two as well.” You sounded a bit dejected when you said that. You didn't like lying to people. It made you feel bad, and it was always just less trouble to be honest, in your eyes. 

“I told them I've had dreams about them, and you, and sometimes them and you in the same dream. But the dreams never gave much for me to go off of. It was more just flashes of color, pictures, and random noise. And when I saw them in real life, I thought they’d know something about it.”

When you were finished with the grass, you sat facing the statue. In the corner of your eye, you could see yourself on the screen of your phone, as the camera watched you as closely as you watched the statue.

Bill studied your expression closely. The way your eyes drifted over each of the fine details in the stone, which, after a moment you reached out to trace with your fingertips, your touch ghosting across the surface as if you were scared you’d break it if you were any rougher with it.  
He became distracted in the little movements of your eyes, the way they traced over every line as if your gaze was what etched them into the stone. The way your pupils changed in size as the shifting branches over-head cast your face in and out of shadows. And how your eyes just, overall, constantly seemed to be in motion. Even when they came to rest on the line that would be his pupil

Nothing he could have done would prepare himself for the overwhelming emotion your next words brought to him. There was no indication that what you would say next would have Bill shaken to his core.

“I don't know why,” You started slowly. The sound of your voice sliced through the silence like a knife. “But I feel like I should be responsible for you. Like, after all of this time, it's my job to deal with whatever happens to you from here on out. You’re my responsibility now.”

Bill was almost giddy over your words. The excitement that bubbled up inside him almost burned. You confessing that you felt like you had to stick by him for reasons you couldn't explain, only further made him believe that there was some outside force driving you to be here. You were supposed to be involved with him from this point, and into the foreseeable future.  
This only meant that you were one step closer to being right where he wanted you. You were so incredibly close, that he could almost taste the freedom that he yearned for. You indeed were the key that he needed to open all the doors that had been locked to him previously, and you put yourself right where he wanted you.

This gave him a bit of confidence when it came to explaining the future as it was intended to play out. You already knew that you were supposed to be by his side, you just didn't realize what that actually meant. 

He watched your expression shift from something serious into something more relaxed, as you settled back, sitting on your knees and placing your hands in your lap. Before you’d turn to pull the lid-seat and place it back in its spot in front of the statue. Sitting on it you’d lean against the stone and turn your gaze to the sky.  
You took a deep breath, then released it in a quiet sigh. Bill followed your gaze to the swaying branches above the two of you. The way they danced almost hypnotically in the breeze.  
To him, these peaceful moments were nothing more than reminders of how you were still, despite your true purposes, only human. And how he was still, despite your presence, was still trapped in stone. Though he could see the appreciation in your eyes as you gazed up at the sky, as your eyes followed the branches or the clouds.  
It was almost adorable how simple humans were, particularly you. The way you just seemed to accept that this was what life had in store for you. To be sitting in the woods, completely unaware that the very stone you were leaning against was, in fact, a very powerful demon. A creature who had destroyed entire dimensions, who had destroyed his own home. Who had intended to do the same to the one the two of you were currently in. 

He wondered how you would react if you found out the truth about it all. If you would still think that, despite your kind, peaceful nature, you were meant to be the one responsible for all of his horrible deeds, to be a companion to a chaotic entity with no concern for anything but himself.  
A twinge struck the back of his mind when he thought that. He could no longer honestly tell himself he didn't care for anything this universe had to offer. 

This universe had offered him you, and despite his better judgment he had to admit he had come to care about you, in some, twisted sort of way. He had learned he didn't want to see you upset, even if he wasn't sure why, and he wanted to watch you grow, to realize how powerful you could truly be. He wanted to be the one who guided you towards that power. To be the one being in the multiverse you could trust, the only one you _would_ trust. As pathetic as humans were, you were meant to be powerful, and even if he didn't know exactly how powerful you’d come to be, he wanted to be sure you were on his side when you have reached that point. Though, he refused to admit to himself that his greed was the reason he wanted you around. If he did that he would be more likely than ever to drive you away with his behavior. He had to convince himself he truly cared about you if he were going to be able to keep himself in check. 

As long as you weren't scared of him, things would be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sick! So this might be sub-par! and I might not update this for a bit, though I will do my best to make sure things get back up to speed when I'm feeling better.


	8. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world has a very nasty way of telling us to get a move on. And an even nastier way of doing things for us!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! sorry about the absence.

There was a feeling that clawed at the center of Bill’s being. More aggressive, and more painful than any emotion he’d experienced yet. He couldn't figure out what it was, and he didn't know what to do about it.  
He was scanning the edge of the clearing in an almost obsessive manner. His attention flitting from the mouth of the trail to the scene around him. 

It has been two days since he’d last seen you. And almost a day and a half since he’s started wrestling with himself and the possible reasons for your absence. You were an older teenager. He wasn't sure exactly how old but, you weren't a child anymore.  
You likely had a life you had to get on with, other friends, or maybe even a job. You’d be around as soon as you possibly could, but there were obligations you were required to maintain in order to continue to appear as normal as possible. He couldn't deny that was what he was hoping for. He’d let himself grow too fond of you to be able to accept that you’d eventually get tired of talking to a rock. 

His pondering was interrupted when the sound of something crashing through the bushes reached him. Something was approaching, and quickly. The more he listened the more he realized that it wasn't something, it was a someone. Two sets of footsteps were pounding down the trail towards the clearing, and before the culprits came into sight, he could hear someone yelling. Though they were too far away for him to properly make out the words. 

His attention snapped to the mouth of the trail as you burst through the bushes. You stumbled over your own feet as they found themselves dealing with the sudden lack of an obstacle, and when your eyes landed on the statue, he saw them widen as you realized where your feed had taken you. Though he didn't have the time to properly gauge your expression before you turned to face the source of the other footsteps.  
A boy about your age, exploded into view. His nose was bleeding and his lip was busted, but on closer examination, he didn't look like he’d seen as much drama as you had. Your hair was a mess, which was unusual when it was pulled up. Your breathing ragged and your arms bruised and scratched. Your short sleeves giving Bill a clear view of a large scrape on your elbow, which he could only assume was from a fall.  
One of the straps on your bag was broken, but you held it by that strap with a grip so tight your knuckles paled and despite the strap it's self, your nails were digging in where your fingers met your palm.  
As the boy approached you swung the bag at him, but he raised his arms to catch it and snatched it out of your grip.  
The boy was a few inches taller than you. Built like the stereotypical jock type that was often portrayed as the bully in those cliche movies about high school and coming-of-age stories. You were outmatched, and that painfully wild emotion in bills core only grew stronger as the scene unfolded while he sat there, only able to watch. Though another, more surface-level part of him couldn't help but admire how confident you seemed, even in the face of this - obviously out of your control - challenge.  
Your feet were planted in a sturdy manner, your posture was defensive. Your eyes were fixed on the boys face, gaze unwavering. The way your brows were furrowed gave you a look of such intense hostility, Bill wasn't sure he was even looking at the same, Kind little girl from days prior, who apologized for stepping wrong near bugs, who whispered sweet nothings to the plants around them as she tended to their leaves and plucked weeds from around their roots.  
It was like, in that moment you’d become a totally different person. 

“End of the line, bitch!” The boy hissed as he tossed your bag to the side and took a step towards you. He looked just as angry as you did, But Bill couldn't even begin to compare his anger to the sheer ferocity that yours held. “You’ve got nowhere else to run, and I doubt this lump of stone here can do much to help you!”

“Piss off, Jake.” You snapped in response, your voice dripping with the venom that couldn't seep through your expression. “You’ve been at this since middle school. Why can't you just grow up?”

“Oh, that's hilarious, coming from the one who takes off into the woods to hang out with a rock every day!”

You could only respond with a quiet growl, as jake stepped towards you, and pushed you closer to the statue. As the boy raised his hands, Bill felt himself growing tense.  
He wished he could tell you to just keep running, to take off into the woods until your attacker lost track of you. But he wouldn't be able to do that. He hasn't been able to say a thing to you since the day you stumbled into the clearing.  
Seeing you here, clearly out-matched, in a situation you were not equipped to handle, brought a sort of, intense rage that bubbled up through whichever other emotion he was feeling, that washed that pained, scratched up tense emotion in his chest as if it had never happened. It was one of the most violent rages he’d felt in a very long time. 

Jake rushed forwards, and you barely had any time to react. His arms outstretched with the intention of grabbing onto you, but you stepped away from him, then took another, only to stumble over your own feet.  
As soon as he realized you’d lost your balance, he swung at you. The boy's fist connecting with the underside of your jaw, and knocking you backward.

It was in that moment bill realized just how cruel the universe could be when it had to take matters of fate into its own hands. 

You crumpled like a piece of wet paper. Falling back into the statue. Your head was the first part of you to make contact with the stone. You yelped when the pain shot through your skull, rivaling the dull ache in your jaw, but that was all you were capable of doing. You hit the ground with a daze and raised your arms to your head. Putting your hands over the back of your skull, as if the pressure would stop a bump from forming.  
Though after a moment of laying there, you pulled them away to investigate the warm, sticky feeling that oozed between your fingers.  
You were bleeding.

You could only stare at your hands as you watched the way the blood ran down your fingers. Jake, upon seeing the shiny red substance almost looked as if he were going to throw up. He took a step back and raised his arms as he tried to figure out his next move.

You whined as you put your hand on the statue. Searching for the edge of it so you could pull yourself to your feet, and effectively smearing blood across the eye of it as you did. You never found your purchase. You only managed to sit up, Pressing yourself against the cold stone as you tried to will away the pain that was waging a full war inside your head.  
All of your previous rage had faded away. You looked like nothing more than the scared girl you were. You opened your mouth to let out some sort of protest as Jake found his bearings and moved forwards again. His shock fading as he decided he should finish what he started.  
You recoiled when he raised his fist. Your arms placing themselves over your head as you anticipated the next round of pain.  
The hit never came. Instead, you closed your eyes and cried out again as you felt yourself falling backward, and a bitterly cold wind swept through the clearing. Strong enough that it knocked twigs from the branches. 

You didn't open your eyes again, until you heard jake stumbling over his words, as he tried to form some sort of comment, or question, in his obvious state of terrified confusion.  
When you looked around, the clearing had turned grey. Bugs had paused mid-flight, the twigs that had started to fall froze mid-air. You looked behind yourself, searching for the stone that you were previously relying on for support, only to find the familiar shape of a triangle Floating above you. It was a bright yellow, with a tinge of red to its form. It's a single eye fixed on jake as it seethed. The boy could only manage another, frightened exclamation before he turned and sprinted out of the clearing. 

You couldn't find the energy to feel any sort of way about the triangle above you. The pain in your head starting to overwhelm you as soon as the danger left, and the adrenaline went chasing after it. You let yourself fall against the forest floor, curled up on yourself as your hands returned to the bloody spot on your head. The last thing you heard before you slipped off to sleep, was the sound of the woods returning, and a shrill, harsh to the ear, but somehow comforting voice. 

“You’re gonna be okay, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the 'Bill sits in a statue and emotes emotionally' phase!! Heck! Now he's a *~ Floating Triangle~* 
> 
> I'm sorry about the week-long absence, as I said, I've been sick, but hopefully, we can get back to our somewhat regular updates!


	9. Hello

Bill wasn't about to start asking the higher powers a bunch of questions when he found himself piloting your reluctant body through the woods, to what your memories told him was your home.   
At some point, your head had stopped bleeding. Your hair was stiff and matted to the back of your head with the blood. But it had stopped. And your heart was still beating. That's all that mattered. 

It was the middle of the night as he dragged your aching form into the house. The lack of a vehicle in the driveway lead him to believe your father wasn't home, which was another good thing. He could lock you in the bathroom and get his bearings before he tried to tend to that injury for you.   
Though his plans wouldn't go as smoothly as he'd hoped. 

As he clicked the lock on the bathroom door, something in the back of your mind clicked. Normally, when it came to possession, he'd kick the original host of the body out, but you were weak and it was much too dangerous to do so with you. So he simply smushed you down and made room for himself while you were unconscious. But now you were waking up. 

"Hey, Hey, Kid. " He spoke with your voice, and the effort alone sent jolts down your spine, making even him uneasy, despite how much he typically enjoyed pain. He tried to calm your stirring consciousness as it tried to force him out of its place, but he quickly found this a losing battle.   
He turned the body towards the tub and got it comfortable in the bottom of it, before releasing his hold on you and allowing your mind to take control of yourself. 

You opened your eyes and glanced blankly around the room. Not processing that you were in your own home just yet.   
Bill floated in front of you. His eye fixed on your expression as he waited for you to come to. It wasn't till you fixed your eyes on him and let out the softest traces of a whine that he realized you could see him. Even without him pulling you into the mindscape with him. 

He couldn't bring himself to say anything for a moment. Watching you closely as you closed your eyes again.  
"Kid." He starts and moves towards you. Placing a cartoony hand on your shoulder. "I can take care of this. Just relax and let me take control, okay?" 

You didn't flinch under his touch, but you did when he spoke, your eyes cracking open to stare at him, almost suspiciously, before you simply went limp in the tub. Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a soft sigh. 

Within the moment, the bill found himself in your head again. Giving your being a moment to readjust to his presence before he, as gently as possible, moving you out of the tub and to the mirror. He turned your head and reached up to feel for the wound. Locating it when his prodding caused splinters of pain to fire off in your skull. Your pain tolerance was higher than he had expected. Even with the feelings the split in your skin was sending off, the most reaction the rest of your body gave was watery eyes, and a twinge at the base of your spine. 

He steadied your body with a deep breath and turned back to the tub. Stepping into it he turned on the shower, and turned your back to the water. Letting the cold wash over the back of your head. It brought a strange relief despite being terribly uncomfortable at the same time. After a moment he started to tend to the matted hair with careful fingers. Being sure he didn't tug too hard to avoid reopening the wound. 

Still dripping, with clothes sticking to your body, he stepped out of the shower to head to the mirror again. Pulling it open, and locating the most powerful pain relievers you had in the room. Throwing a few, more than he should have, into your mouth, and returning to the shower. Turning your mouth up to the still running water till it was spilling over your cheeks before he swallowed the pills and as much of the water as he could at once. 

When you came to, you were still in the tub. The water was still running, but now it was warm. And the pain wasn't nearly as bad. You looked up to the triangle that hovered over you with an exhausted smile. 

"Hello." You mumbled to him, taking a deep breath. 

"Hey, Kid."


	10. Headaches

Bill had not left your side since he was freed from the statue, and he couldn't figure out why.

He hovered over your shoulder as you sat at the kitchen table. His eyes fixed on you as you munched idly at a bowl of cereal. Your head propped up by your empty hand, as the other raised the spoon to your mouth in slow, robotic motions.  
You didn't seem to mind the way his single eye remained fixed on you. Despite the dull aching in the back of your head, you met his eye with a cool gaze. Seeming almost bored, like you were daydreaming. Though the intense curiosity your golden eyes held showed that you were certainly focused, and he had your full attention.

“You know,” You mumbled past a mouth full of cereal. Closing one eye as you adjusted the way you were sitting, so that your cheek was in your palm, rather than your chin. “You could tell me a bit about yourself.”

Bill had never seemed to consider the idea of needing an introduction. You’d spent so much time with him the woods, and he knew so much about you. The idea that you knew next to nothing about him had totally slipped his mind. 

“The only things I know about you are what Dipper and Mabel told me. But I think I’d like to hear about you from you.” You had continued when you noticed the way he looked a bit surprised. 

“My name is Bill Cipher.” He started. Bringing himself closer to you, His eye remaining fixed on your face. 

“Well Bill, It's wonderful to finally be able to talk to you properly.” You fixed him with a cheery grin and closed your eyes. 

Even through your smiles, and what was apparent joy, he could still tell you were borderline exhausted. Bags had formed under your eyes, and you were squinting almost constantly as you battled the headache that, as you described, had split your skull in two. Even though all the lights in the house were off, and the curtains were drawn, you still thought it was just too bright. But you wouldn't take any further steps to relieve this pain, other than occasionally taking pain relievers. 

“You have certainly been talkative, these past few years.” He commented with a quiet chuckle, as he brought himself to rest on the table. Standing in front of you with his arms hanging limply. “I oughta thank you for the company.”

You couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was almost comical the way he looked, a triangle standing on your kitchen table. Obviously out of place but still pretending he belonged there more than anywhere else.  
He wasn't very big. He could fit on a dinner plate with minimal overhang, and while you assumed that was normal, he was only so small to conserve energy. Giving it less space that it needed to travel through his body before it could escape.

“You look like you’re pulsing when you talk.” You commented, as you lifted your head and reached out with the tip of your index finger to poke the top point of his form, just above his eye. “And, all things considered. I didn't expect you to look so cartoony.”

He didn't try to stop you from touching him. Finding that, contrary to when he was in the statue, your touch no longer brought warmth with it. Instead, your hand felt cold compared to him. Not drastically so, but you seemed to find his temperature shocking, as you yanked your hand away like you were simply testing the waters before you reached back out to touch him again.  
He found himself feeling a little indignant, as you then moved to drag your finger along one of his edges. His eye narrowing a tad, and his arms crossing.

“Something wrong with the way I look?” He blinked at you, the center of his eye dipping to give him a bit of an angry appearance, which didn't last long. As he turned your words over in his mind, he realized you weren't trying to be rude, and in fact, your tone had even been endearing. You just weren't exactly in the best state to be paying close attention to your words.

“Never mind, You don't have to answer that.” he followed up before you had the time to respond. “I already know the answer. If I ask questions don't answer them. Still, kind of groggy, still working on how quick I can catch the uptake.” 

“You use a lot of words.” You snorted, then closed your eyes. “Yes, the pines twins did say something about you.” You paused and looked a bit thoughtful. “Said you were uh,” 

“All-knowing.” he finished for you. 

“That's it.” As you confirmed it, you gestured towards him with your spoon, unintentionally sending a few drops of milk flying through the air. Which you’d wipe up with your fingers just as it hit the table.

“Yes. Don't trust the Pines family.” He lifted off of the table to float around the kitchen as he said this. Which earned a confused look, as you turned to watch him. “They might be, mean, considering you’re involved with me.” Bill normally wouldn't be too concerned with how humans were treated. But you were too important for him to allow something like that. He needed you to be at your best, all the time.

“But they’re so nice?” Your confusion was evident in your tone.”And they know I have something to do with you already and haven't been mean. You’re like all they talk about, ever, but at the same time you're the only thing they don't want to talk about!” 

“So they’re still hooked on me, huh?” he laughed. “What about the old men, were they still there, last time you were at the mystery shack?” 

“The two old men?” You questioned. Turning back to your cereal and looking thoughtful for a moment, before you quickly finished the bowl and stood to carry it to the sink.

“Yes, the stans. They were in their seventies last I checked.” His eye was fixed on you, but it held a distant look, as well as one of slight irritation.

He was trying to piece things back together. He wasn't sure exactly how long he had spent in the statue. It had been at least ten years before you showed up. But then, how many had passed since you’d arrived? You were twelve when you first showed up. But he had no idea how old you were now. How much had he missed? And why wasn't the information coming to him now that he was out of the stone? As the thoughts stewed in his mind, his form started to turn red. And you turned a worried look to him.

“Are you alright?” 

“Hmph.” He grunted in response. Taking a moment to collect his words before continuing. “They should be around, eighty. Maybe ninety? One of them might already be dead.” he reached up to tap just below his eyes with one of his cartoony fingers. 

“I think I might know who you’re talking about, now that I think of it. Though, it feels fuzzy.” You tilted your head to the side. Leaning against the counter, your hands pressed to its edge. 

“Well after you hit your head like that, It wouldn't surprise me if you had a concussion.” He snapped his fingers, pointing at you when he did. The red fading back into that obnoxiously bright yellow, that you had to squint a bit to look at. “I'm talking about their uncles. Great uncles, to be more specific. They used to ow-”

“Yeah!” you cut him off before he finished. A wide smile plastering it's self across your face. “I know exactly who you’re talking about, their coming back to visit Dipper and Mabel this summer!” 

“Fantastic.” He couldn't hide the distaste in his voice. Them returning, and finding out he was no longer trapped could be bad. Though his unhappiness seemed to fly right over your head. 

“I know, right? I can't wait! They all seem so nice!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of love to those who have been leaving comments I love the attention no matter what it is <3 <3.
> 
> Don't be afraid to comment! I'd love to hear ideas and criticisms that you all have on this!


	11. Fairies

Bill watched you with his arms crossed as you picked idly at the plate of food sitting in front of you. He knew you were injured, and he knew humans needed time and rest to heal, but he hadn't yet processed that you were still hurting, and there was likely more than a simple head wound affecting you.  
Still, he couldn't help but find himself getting impatient with your idle-ness. It was borderline infuriating to him how you could sit around for days on end without driving yourself insane from boredom. Though it wasn't exactly you that he was frustrated with. It was the peace and quiet. Something he wasn't used to in the slightest. There was nothing to focus on, nothing to keep his thoughts going, and the silence irked him. The effort of maintaining his composure around you was starting to get overwhelming. And it was all he could do to keep himself grounded, to try and think of some sort of activity to get you moving. So he didn't have to stay here any longer. 

“Hey, Kid.” He started, his voice dropping through the silence like a clever. Causing you to look up from your meal. 

“Yes..?”

“Do you like fairies?”

He could see his words, to some degree, shocked you, your eyes widened a little bit and your eyebrows knitted together as you tossed the words over in your mind as if you were trying to figure out whether they held some hidden meaning or not. 

“I’ve never thought much about them, the idea is cool but, I never cared if they were real or not.” 

“Well! What if we went to go see some fairies? I know a lovely spot in the woods where they like to hang out. Would that make you feel better?”

Bill felt a strange sense of pride fill him when you looked back to your food with a gentle smile. You’d been moping for a few days now, spending so much time on what was, essentially your own with only Bill for company. He could imagine you were feeling rather out of sorts by such a thing. You were used to being on your own most of the time, but even if you spent that time with him, you weren't used to him actually being there, being capable of responding. You were more comfortable with one-sided conversations and gentle silences.  
Not the stiff, overwhelming silence that he brought with him. To you his presence felt like the air was filled with electricity. Even when you couldn't see him you knew he was there because you could hear him, you could feel his eyes on you, and feel the way the energy in the air shifted around him.

“I suppose I would feel better to get out of the house.” You nodded, scooping a few more mouthfuls of food off of the place before you stood, and turned narrowed eyes to his form. Squinting against the harsh contrast of his color against the darkness of the room. 

“Well, do something with yourself, get cleaned up and get your shoes on. It's not dark out there, but the Fairies do glow.” He punctuated his sentence with a snap of his fingers, then turned away and floated towards the front door.

You did as instructed without any complaint, and Bill couldn't help but find himself fond of how mindlessly you took orders. It seemed to him that the arrangement he intended to come to would be much easier than he thought it would be in the first place. Of course, said arrangement was to be saved for a later explanation, and he himself avoided thinking about it till he could work out the finer details of your situation, and the destiny that the universe has planned for you, and how he could stitch himself into it without the cosmic forces destroying both of you.

You deposited your dishes as gently into the sink as you could, trying to avoid any loud or jarring noise as the ceramic hit the metal basin, but even the soft tapping seemed a bit too loud for your taste. Your head still pounded with every beat of your heart, but you didn't think you could bear to pass up an opportunity for getting out of the house. A part of you hoped that being in the woods would refresh you, perhaps make you feel just a bit better than the stuffy house could  
As you slipped on your shoes and tucked a pair of sunglasses into your pocket, bills eye tracked your every movement. From the minute twitches of your fingers as a few of them worked at one thing and the rest of them bent or tucked themselves out of the way, to the way your eyes danced over each subject of your attention, before resting on the door handle and narrowing against his shine of color reflecting from it. He almost sighed at how pathetic you were, how weak you seemed at this moment. But it was something he’d have to deal with for now. Until you were properly recovered from your fall.

As you opened the door, Bill floated out ahead of you. He didn't move too far from you, and stopped every once in a while to give you a chance to catch up, but it was obvious you were moving too slow for his liking. He noted the way you picked up on his anticipation, the way you did your best to walk just a little bit faster despite the way every once in a while you’d wince, as you set your foot just a bit too hard down on the pavement, and an achy jolt shot through your head.

The two of you walked in silence. He found the situation to be rather awkward, and almost unsettling. Comparing it to how you would usually run your mouth every time you came to visit the statue it was out of character for you. Though he wouldn't try to press you into talking if it made you uncomfortable. He knew you were hurt, and you would need time to recover, and that you weren't exactly used to having an expectant listener around, but the quiet made him more antsy than being stuck in the house did. It was too calm, too peaceful for his tastes. He hadn't been free of the statue for very long but he couldn't help but wish for more than babysitting some injured humans, even if that injury came from setting him free.

As the sun finally fell below the horizon, you reached the treeline where the woods met the town. The two of you pausing accordingly.  
Bill turned to you, prepared to speak, but you beat him to it. You stared into the middle distance, your eyes fixed on some unseen point in the woods ahead of you, and somehow they seemed brighter than they had these past few days. The faintest traces of a smile had turned up the corner of your lips and you looked, considerably more alive than you had recently. 

“Tonights going to be a good night.” 

Bill couldn't pinpoint why your words struck him in such a strange way. The cadence in your voice, the chilly silkiness of your tone, it rubbed him wrong. He couldn't possibly find a way to understand how a human could be so sure that entering the woods at night could lead to something good, especially when they were in a sense, alone. You could see him, yes, you weren't actually alone, but aside from verbal direction, there was no way he’d possibly be able to assist you in any way unless he took to possession.  
The idea of possession, he found surprisingly unsettling. To make you do something against your will, even if for your own good, sat wrong with him. 

Bill pulled himself from his thoughts, to fix his gaze properly on you, only to get lost in them once more. He found himself instead, now distracted by the way you were holding yourself as you faced off against the empty unknown - to you at least- that was the woods. In the golden rays of dying light, you looked almost angelic, the way your eyes lit up with the final rays of sun bounced off of them, only accentuating the golden color. The way your lips were pursed as you prepared to say something else, and the way you fix your gaze on him when you did. A smile tugged harder at your face, and the corners of your eyes crinkled, and Bill, all at once, found himself flinching backward.  
You were speaking, and he was staring. He’d gotten caught off guard, you were speaking, and he had missed it. 

“What did you say?” He reached up to rub his side as if he had stuck a finger in his ear, his eyelid dipping, giving him a mildly irritated look. Which quickly turned shocked as you laughed.

“I asked if you were okay!” you chimed, your laughter bubbling through your words as you shook her head. “If you don't want to answer, it's fine. Are you going to lead the way?” 

“Yes, of course.” His tone was unintentionally defensive. He doesn't have the slightest clue how the situation had gone so wrong just then, but he wasn't happy about it. 

“You know, you can talk too, right?” as your giggles continued to infect your words, bill found himself growing agitated, but not in an angry way, and he couldn't figure out why. 

“Im well aware, I just don't have anything to say to you right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry for the vanishing act I've pulled. Life has simply been very busy and very wild, so I have had no time to polish up what I had written, let alone write more. I promise I'll be trying to get back into the swing of things, but updates will be a little more spaced out than what I had originally intended. So sorry if that's not what your here for (While I hope it would be) but as a peace offering I'm trying to make the next chapters or two, while they won't be close together, a bit more, shippy, fluffy. 
> 
> If you are reading the bill-fic I have under my Main pseud 'Mistakes' I will not be updating that for a bit longer, I have no more pre-written chapters to upload to it and have run to a dead end on my block for that.  
If you haven't read 'Mistakes' its another xReader fic, Gender-neutral but much more sassy, a lot less sappy, and I am absolutely fishing for ideas for where to take that <3<3
> 
> If any of you would like to humor me and pitch ideas to help me get over writer's block, and to get back into the groove of things while I attempt to pull this bad babey onto the front burner again, perhaps consider sending in drabble or one-shot requests.


	12. Peaceful

“Oh! Don't be so grumpy, Bill.” 

Your cheery tone cut through the silence of the woods. Drowning out the sound of the leaves crunching under your feet with every step you took.

“I’m not being grumpy,” Bill defended himself, his voice indignant as he lowered himself to the ground, examining a mushroom, and the tree it grew next to. He crossed his arms as he carried on, with you trailing faithfully behind him. “I’m simply focusing on the task at hand.”

“Being grumpy is exactly what you’re doing. Is it because I called you silly?” 

“You called me silly?” He turned around, floating backward, and fixing his eye on you.

“That must have been when you zoned out.” You shrugged, then nodded. Confirming that you did, in fact, call him silly. You maintained eye contact, though you were squinting, which was mostly from the smile plastered on your face.

“Well!” He puffed and turned to carry on with a wave of his hand. “I’ll have you know, I am Not silly!” 

“You can tell yourself that but I think-” You paused as you hauled yourself up over the trunk of a large, fallen tree, grunting with the effort, and doing your best to lower yourself down on the other side without too much of a jolt from hitting the ground. “I think you’re absolutely the silliest thing I've ever encountered!”

“Whatever you say, kid.” He grumbled and carried on.

As the conversation drew to a close, Bill carried on leading you through the woods. Occasionally he turned to look at you just so he could be sure you were managing to keep up. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, He was more distracted by how casual the situation was.   
He had hoped that by bringing you out here, out of the house, things would be a bit more exciting, and yet that didn't seem to be the case. Even the woods had an unfamiliar sense of tranquility about them. Something he couldn't quite place had brought a sense of ease and drove out any worries in their environment.

It was long after dark when you reached the spot Bill claimed was the fairies home, which he could tell you didn't quite buy into. Your expression seemed skeptical, your nose scrunched up and your brow furrowed as you looked at the ground before you. 

“This is it, I promise you. Just sit down, and be quiet.” He gestured to the ground.

“Bill, this is just a circle of mushrooms.” You moved forward as you spoke, then poised your foot to tap at one of the shrooms, before he quickly placed himself in front of you, and pushed you backward. 

“Normally, I’d be all for inconveniencing the woodland creatures, but not when you’re here. I don't want to start something I won't be able to get you out of.” He gestured for you to sit, and placed his hands on your shoulders as he did so.

“So, You’re telling me,” You sat as you talked, sitting criss-cross in the grass. “That if I sit real still and be real quiet they’ll appear?”

“When have I ever lied to you?” He shifted a bit, placing himself on your knee when you were seated. 

“You’ve hardly spoken to me since you became, not-a-statue.” You quietly protested but did not do much to give cast any further doubts. 

“Exactly! So never.” Based on the tone of his voice alone you could tell, if he had a mouth he’d be grinning.   
He tucked himself under your arms, turned to face the fungi. Using your limbs as a shield to stop his glow from being cast on the fungi. In response to which, you only shifted a bit. Moving your arms away for a moment, before you let them rest around his shape in a more comfortable manner, and sighed softly. It was like hugging a weirdly shaped dinner plate. 

Fix your eyes on the ring, you tilted your head to the side, avoiding the way his top-hat brushed at your chin. It was a little while of waiting in silence, your back was starting to ache from sitting hunched around Bills shape, and your eyes were feeling heavy as the ring of mushrooms stirred to life. It wasn't until Bill freed himself from the sleepy hold that you opened your eyes and took a moment to look around.   
As comfortable as he had been sitting there, he was glad he did that. The way your eyes lit up at the sight of the faintly glowing fairies had his eye-widening as he stared at you. The little smile on your face that gradually opened as your mouth fell open into a silent ‘Woah’.  
It was the look on your face, in that moment, that allowed Bill to understand how things could be so calm, even in the strangest of circumstances. He understood how you could be so sure of the quality of the night based on first impressions with the woods, and how the woods welcomed your presence with open arms.   
For lack of a better explanation, It was because the two of you, are total opposites.  
After all, you couldn't be more different, You were human, and he was not, he was a being that brought around chaos and left a mess wherever he went, simply because he felt like it.   
You brought with you a peace that was hard to come by. The kind of peace that Bill would consider detestable. A peace that shouldn't exist because it ruined the fun he yearned for.

Yet, floating there, a few feet away, looking down at you, the way you smiled, the way the light of the fairies reflected from your eyes, casting shades of blues pinks and reds across your golden irises. He couldn't bring himself to consider the fun ruined, but instead, a whole different kind of fun.   
He wanted to sit with you in the grass, to watch the fairies in this quiet peace, and enjoy the night. To allow the night to be as you predicted it would be.   
His thoughts became less coherent as he watches you. The fairies were all but forgotten as his eye danced over you. Taking in every aspect of your appearance, here in the night. Things were quiet, the fairies chattered amongst themselves, completely unaware of their silent visitors, and for a moment Bill almost felt like a piece of him twisted, or was squeezed, to nearly the point of bursting. It made him feel, sick.   
The feeling wouldn't last long, though. As a light breeze rustled the branches overhead you shifted, leaning backward just to lurch with a sneeze. The noise of which startled the fairies, and they vanished just as they had appeared, in little twinkles of light that faded out as if they were never there in the first place.

You let out a soft groan after the sneeze, and put your hands on the side of your head, gaze fixed on the ground. 

“Ugh, Sorry, I-” You had started to speak but stopped when Bill started to chuckle. A soft and lighthearted sound that you hadn't expected the, thus far snappy and eternally irritated triangle to make.   
The look of confusion on your face was adorable. The corners of his eye crinkled as he watched you. 

“It's okay kid, Let's get you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I don't know how to write? Can you believe this is the first thing I've ever written that is this long? I've never written anything longer than three paragraphs before.
> 
> Again, I am still sorry for my absence, and I promise I am doing my best, though I'm still not sure when this will pick back up.   
Shout out to Nour for raising the overall comment number to a whopping 46 through somewhat consistent interaction with me, and for giving me ideas they probably didn't even realize they've given me considering I tend to be cryptic with my responses. 
> 
> Remember if Y'all have any ideas or things you'd like to see happen say something, If you want more light and fluffy things like this, let me know!


	13. Class

Bill had decided that the two of you were getting along spectacularly. Only two weeks into you having freed him from the statue, and he would almost proudly say that you two were to a degree, friends.   
After a rocky, almost painfully slow start, things were starting to pick up the pace. Your head was healing and you had already started to show signs of feeling better. Even returning to school, finally. And so far Bill was having quite a bit of fun going with you.  
You didn't seem to mind his presence either. Especially since he would occasionally give you the answer to a question the teacher asked, or give you the answer to whatever you were working on. Claiming it was ‘just a little something’ to keep you interested in his friendship. To which you assured him, there was nothing he could do to ruin it.

Nearing the end of your third class of the day, Bill noted that you had one more class to go before you were allowed to leave. This was the first day that Bill had actually sat with you through the entirety of the school day. Normally he’d have gotten bored early on in your second period and left, but today he decided otherwise. 

“Why are you sitting like that?” 

Your head popped up from your desk at the question, and you glanced around before your eyes rested on the teacher. Bill thought you were trying to make yourself look small, your shoulders hunched and your legs tucked neatly under you in your seat. 

“I don't understand how you could possibly be comfortable.” He remarked, tapping the tip of his finger just under his eye as he floated in a circle around you, then went about investigating the classroom. 

You’d learned quickly that you were the only one who could see him. This realization coming to you when you’d mumbled something out loud to him, and earned a weird look from the student sitting beside you. In your silence, Bill had taken to either asking simple questions, that you could answer subtly, with a bob of your head or a shrug of your shoulders, or he simply rambled on to himself. In this case, you merely offered him a shrug.

Your silence, and reluctance to properly answer his questions aside, Bill could tell that you were tense. It was odd seeing you nervous in such away. Like you were dreading what the future held. He wasn't sure why it upset him, whether it be because your twitching fingers and lack of eye contact irritated him, and he had no way of knowing why, or because he cared about you, which the idea was one he found preposterous, even though he continuously had to tell himself it was true. Especially if he was inclined in any way to keep you around.  
No longer being trapped in stone, no longer being limited to the space directly around him, he’d started to open himself back up to the flood of information that came with knowing everything. Letting the knowledge of the future trickle into his mind. Occasionally you’d catch him in his silence, as he consciously filtered out things he did or did not want to know about. Choosing to see the most reasonable futures he thought possible. Ones where you were by his side, Where the two of you had obtained power, and you were then as merciless as you were now kind. 

To get himself so excited about such a thing was an unreasonable jump to make. But he knew that with the right teaching, the right words. He’d have you wrapped around the handle of his cane in no time. All he had to do was be patient. 

By the time he’d finished entertaining himself with idle thoughts, and the contents of the classroom, the bell had rung. Dismissing students to their next class. You were a bit slow to get to your feet. Your hands braced against the desk as you gingerly unfolded your legs as if they were stiff as stone. Taking your time in getting out the door. 

“You should hurry up, kid, You don't wanna be late.” He chided, taking his place just over your left shoulder. 

In response, you mumbled something along the lines of “don't want to go” under your breath. Bill got the idea that you weren't exactly fond of your next and final class of the day, but he couldn't see the reasoning behind it. 

“Cmon, kid. The sooner you get it over with the sooner you can go home!” He encouraged you, and with a quiet sigh, and the faintest traces of a smile, you started to walk just a little bit faster. 

When you got there, Bill couldn't understand why you wouldn't want to be there. The teacher was standing at the door, welcoming each of the students that walked past with a cheery grin, with the same, exciting question every time, in a language that wasn't English.   
Bill understood what they were saying to each other to be ‘Hello, How are you?” and the responses to be “Fantastic.” each time, but it wasn't until you responded that he realized that this class would be Latin.

“Why wouldn't you want to come to this class?” His question seemed genuine as if he really couldn't believe you didn't like this class. “This class should be your favorite!” 

As he spoke he was looking over pictures on the wall, examining each one of them closely. They were all different. Some had pictures of ruins and historical places with their names on the bottom, others were something along the lines of the greek gods family tree.   
It was mundane to him. Something Bill already knew about, but he couldn't help but get excited over the idea that you would come to know it too. That you were seeking knowledge like this on your own. A topic that the two of you would be able to talk about, even.

“It is.” You mumbled under your breath, glancing up at him from where you sat. You were off to the side, away from the other students and near the back of the room, sitting in your seat as you flipped through papers to find your work. “Just don't like the people.”

Bill could only vaguely understand what you meant by that. As he turned to look at the other students, some standing together and talking, others in their seat fishing work out of their bags or binders. Most of them looking simply excited or pleased to be there.

“I really don't understand why you’d be so down about this class-” As he turned to face you again, He froze up, his eye fixed on the doorway. The center of his eye dipped. You cringed at the hiss that left him. Harsh and obviously angry. 

It quickly cleared up any questions as to why you didn't like this class, Seeing Jake standing in the doorway, mumbling something to the teacher just quiet enough that Bill couldn't hear what he was saying. The boy who’d chased you through the woods. Bill figured he wouldn't be able to see him, so there was no way he could say anything about this situation, but he could obviously see you. 

The kids face almost seemed, angry. Hateful, as if he were mad that you had the audacity to return to this class again. But then he glanced around and seemed worried. Taking a slow step forward, before he shook his head and went to his seat. Setting his bag down on the floor, and propping his head up in his hand. 

“He isn't going to hurt you again,” Bill stated. His anger was evident in his voice. “I’ll make sure of it.”


	14. Commands

Bill originally planned to simply sit in silence and scheme. He wasn't going to try to interact with anyone. He wasn't planning on actively trying to hurt someone. But when he saw the way Jake’s head dipped slightly, the way his eyes started to flutter closed, as he struggled to keep himself up for the duration of the class. Well, Bill just couldn't help himself. Before the idea even popped into his mind, he was acting it out.

Drifting away from your side, Bill planted himself on the boys desk, leaning in to examine him closely, then, before you knew it, you could no longer see him. His little vanishing act made you worry a bit, but there was nothing you could do about it. You were the only one who looked over when Jake's head hit the desk. The only one who noticed the audible thunk. 

Bill hovered in front of the boy, waiting for him to realize something wasn't right, and he wouldn't be waiting long. As soon as Jake opened his eyes, and saw the vaguely familiar monochrome effect to the landscape, he tensed up, and when he turned, catching sight of Bill, Jake screamed. 

“Get away from me!” He made an attempt to scoot the chair out from under the desk, but it didn't budge. Instead, he fell unceremoniously through the chair and landed on the ground in a heap of himself.

“Ah-ah-ah! I’ve got a bone to pick with you, Buddy boy!” Bill cackled. If he had a mouth he would be grinning, it felt nice to be able to terrorize someone in such a way. He could practically smell the fear that radiated from the kid in front of him, which was a feat considering he didn't have a nose.

“No, no way! I have nothing to say to you or that freak of a girl over there!” He waved his hand at Bill as he picked himself up off the ground, doing his best to recover from the shock of Bill’s appearance. “I can't be having her blood on my hands, but I'm not going to suddenly back off just because she's playing some freaky little mind games!” 

“Shes not the one playing games!” Bill corrected him, Putting one hand on his side, and waving the other. “If anything it's you, whos playing around! Your persistence in treating others so horribly isn't-” 

Bill stopped himself in the middle of his sentence, taking a beat to think about what he was about to say as if he’d surprised himself with the idea, though it wasn't long enough for it to be noticeable to the human in front of him.

“It isn't as fun to watch as you might think! It's actually pretty awkward when you go about this stuff in such an embarrassing way!” Bill turned to look at you, then floated over to your frozen form. “This kid is a sweetheart, I'm certain she’s not done anything to you, you only mess with her because she won't break her peaceful tendencies long enough to fight back.”

Bill ran a finger along the top of your head, right down the part of your hair before he turned to look at Jake again. The kid looked thoroughly confused. Standing up now, against the wall, with a defensive posture, as if he expected something more than a lecture to jump out at him. 

“What's your point, weirdo?” He hissed through his teeth, glancing around at the frozen, colorless figures of his classmates.

“My point? I have three, you’ll have to be a little more specific.” Bill paused, waving a hand dismissively before he moved back towards the kid.   
“But just to make things clear,” Bill reached out to gently caress his jaw, tilting his head back a bit. “If you ever lay a hand on her again,” The room seemed to shift uneasily as he spoke, as if their surroundings had picked up on the mood, and were trying to flee

“I will rip you to shreds and feed you to the-”

“Bill.”

Both of them jumped. Jake yanked his face from out of Bill's reach as he tried to scramble away with the aid of the new distraction. Bill snapped around to face whoever had called his name.

You still sat in your seat, but you’d shifted. Your hand was now holding up your head as if you’d dozed off. Which was different from the alert posture you had just a moment ago. Despite your form still being grey, your eyes were full of color. Shining almost as bright as Bill himself was against the bleak room. Your gaze was fixed on him, Unwavering, unblinking. 

“What are you doing?” Your mouth didn't move, but it was certainly your voice

Suddenly, Bill felt terribly small. Somehow, you had forced your way into the mindscape despite Bill thinking that this would be a private setting. He had no idea how you could have managed that. He thought of the idea of a doorway as if when he was in the process of shutting it, you jammed your foot in the gap. Just enough space for you to be able to call out to him, to watch him. This was the first hint of power that you’d exhibited since you had released Bill, and for some reason, he couldn't place, he didn't like it. In fact, he could even claim that he hated it. Because for some reason it scared him.

Like a child caught with the cookie jar, he dropped the scene. Finding himself facing you down in a fully colored classroom, where nothing had happened.  
Jake sat up in his seat with a start, gasping for air as he did, and earning a weird look from the students who noticed. It was a typical reaction for a human returning from the mindscape. It would always end like a nightmare. But you sat calmly in your seat, your head propped boredly in your hand. Your eyes fixed on Bill as if you were trying to dissect him.

He could see the command in your eyes. The silent words that brought Bill slowly back to your side, despite the fact he was telling himself that he shouldn't be taking orders from you. This was wrong. He shouldn't have to leave that kid alone just because you didn't want to see someone getting hurt. His attention was pulled to your desk as you tapped your paper, a small note scribbled in the corner. 

‘Now is not the right time’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to post this today, but honestly now that I've gotten the chance to get back into writing things I've been getting excited over this.


	15. Denial

Personally, Bill thought the walk home was tense.  
He’s spent the duration of it floating obediently over your shoulder as if you had him on some sort of leash.  
For some reason he couldn't place, you didn't seem to think what you had done was too big of a deal. It was like you didn't even realize you’d somehow, entirely on your own, accessed a hidden dimension, without actually doing so.  
He was trying to piece together the way he truly felt about it, or why he had felt the way he thought he had, but his mind couldn't seem to wrap around it. For the first time for as long as he could remember, he was confused, and he didn't know what to do about it. 

You were already showing signs of having what he wanted to give you. Perhaps it was the idea of things kicking off before the two of you were ready that had him worried, and that this event was simply a side effect of how close the two of you had become. After all, there was the cosmic decision that you two were meant to be a team. You were connected, and maybe you had been a vessel for the homeless energy that was his, while he was trapped in the stone.  
Perhaps, that was what had brought you two together, energy and its need to find where it belonged. You having these powers might even be you simply tapping into whatever was leftover. Unspent energy that was lying dormant within you, that had stayed instead of returning to Bill. But there was still the fact you hadn't noticed, the idea that you didn't seem to think this wasn't normal. 

“Hey, kid?” He started, then stopped. Giving himself time to think about what he was going to say. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?” You looked up at him, head tilted. 

“Reach me in the mindscape! You’re human, you shouldn't be able to do that without someone like me to guide you there.” 

Bill almost sounded indignant, as if he were about to throw a tantrum, and it only got worse when you giggled quietly, amused by the tone of his voice, as it grew more shrill as he spoke. Bill realized he was not acting like himself.

“I dunno! I just closed my eyes and thought about where you could of gone, then I heard you talking and followed the sound of your voice, I guess” 

“That doesn't make any sense.” He crossed his arms, looking away from you.

“I know, I don't know what happened I just don't think questioning it too much is a good idea, you know? Best to let it lie.” 

Bill didn't want to accept that answer. His eye narrowed in thought. Why hadn't he seen this coming? Is there something you weren't telling him? Keeping the knowledge out of his grasp with a power specifically used to hide such information?  
He scratched the spot just under his eye as he thought about it. He didn't notice when you stopped, and turned around, as someone called out your name. His attention not being drawn back to you till you squealed, and disappeared from his peripheral vision.

“Mabel!” 

Bill spun around, his eye wide as he watched you drop your book bag and practically leap into the arms of a woman, trapping her in a hug as the two of you laughed like you’d never gotten the chance to before. 

The first thing he noticed was how much older she’d become. She looked as if she were old enough to be your mom, certain parts of her seemed to have gone soft, while others seemed to have sharpened. Her hair seemed silkier, her jaw seemed sharper, and her eyes had subtle wrinkles at the corners, and certainly looked wiser, but she still looked just as kind as she had the first time he ever saw her. 

“Well Well well!” Bill chimed as he circled the two of you, properly examining her. “She's grown so much!”

You faltered a tad, eyeing him cautiously as he reached out to touch the top of Mabel's head, and she seemed to shiver in response. Her eyes went wide and she cast a quick, nervous glance in Bills direction, then looked at you as if asking you a question, but she didn't say anything about it.

“I just wanted to check on you, to see how you were doing. I heard you’d gotten hurt, and after we stopped seeing you around town, we got worried. Don't expect dipper to admit to that, though.” She laughed as she said that, and you smiled sheepishly at her, as you pulled your arms from around her and took a step back. 

“It's alright! I'm okay I promise. There's no need to worry about me.” You nodded assuringly, then leaned to the side, and shot Bill a look as you did. “Speaking of Dipper, where’s he at?” 

“Probably harassing some poor creature,” Bill started, but he didn't have time to finish before Mabel started talking again. 

“Oh! He’s cleaning up the shack. Our Grunkles are coming in this summer to visit, and he thinks if he goes ahead and cleans now, he won't have to do as much cleaning in the future, even though I can guarantee it will be just as messy then as it is now, and then he won't want to clean it at all” she waved her hand with a snicker and shook her head. 

“I know your Grunkles are coming,” You reminded her, bouncing up and down where you stood. “You invited me to come to meet them!” 

“Yes, that's right!” 

“Yeesh, kid, you’re practically drooling over her.” Bill rolled his eye at you, floating over and lightly tugging on a strand of your hair. “Any more of that and you might drown us all.” 

Bill wasn't happy about how excited the two of you were to talk to each other. Your attachment to the Pines could put a damper on his plans, and he wasn't sure if he could deal with that. The Pines family were the only humans who knew multiple ways to shut down his plans, and if they convinced you to abandon him, they would know another.  
The idea of calling it abandonment sat weirdly with him. That would imply that he needed you, which was something he refused to let himself believe. In fact, it was not true in the slightest. He thought you needed him to teach you what the universe had in store for you. You needed him to teach you just how cruel life was, in a manner that you would understand, and show you all the ways to help you overcome the vicious universe, and rise to the top. 

He looked at you, and once again his mind stuttered. The red on your cheeks and the wrinkles at the corners of your eyes. He felt his insides start to twist into painful and odd shapes as he watched you prance around on the sidewalk, you and Mabel circling each other like playful dogs.  
You looked so happy just to be talking to another person. Another human who saw the innocence and the wonder in the world like you did. Even if she was so much older than you. 

Perhaps that was why he liked you so much. He’d always been a bit more fond of Mabel when it came to the Pines family. Of course, that was different now, but she knew how to have fun. The only reason he could think that he didn't pursue her company back then was that he didn't consider himself in need of anyone, and her family, particularly her brother were annoyingly observant, and likely would have shut it down just as quickly. Out of Mabel, he would have never gotten the unbridled care and attention that he got from you. You were alone, with no siblings and hardly a family to get in the way. 

There he went thinking he needed you again. He tried, but he just couldn't seem to get off of the thought. He’d been so lonely out there in the woods. So full of rage and boredom Until you’d come along. Some lonely little kid that had nothing better to do than to spend her days in the woods with a statue.  
A simple little human who brought with her an unnatural peace that even Bill found comfortable. A person whos smiles made the day brighter, whose eyes seemed to bring meaning to whatever item they settled on. The one living, breathing creature that Bill could not understand, that Bill didn't know everything about. Which he realized, was not because you were hiding it from him, but because he was loving the idea of your simple mysteries, and listening to you talk about yourself made him willing to comply with the passage of time. 

Bill brought his train of thought to a screeching halt, and his whole form shivered, he felt like every piece of him had flipped upside down and dosey doe'd with the urgency of someone trying to stop the end of the world. He felt wrong. His arms tensed up and his fingers curled like claws, his eye narrowing as he felt disgust with his behavior welling up inside of him.

He didn't like the way he’d started to think about you. The way he’d started to _feel_ about you. Perhaps he was lying to himself just a little too well. Perhaps that would be another one of your hidden abilities. He couldn't bring himself to make sure, though. Perhaps for the sake of complimenting his work, and to remind him of how important your compliance was to the chaos he so deeply desired, it was a little bit of both. 

Bill almost sighed at the thought. He was struggling to deny it more and more, your conversation with Mabel had been completely forgotten as he fell into his mind. 

You needed him, and however much he hated to admit it, he needed you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double Upload today because I'm impatient and potentially sorry for not updating for so long. Also I really just? Got excited? cant handle myself at all its horrid.  
I actually surprised myself writing this tonight because I didnt think I was going to take this on such a trip but you know what? My hands know what they want. Hopefully you want this too. 
> 
> Please let me know what y'all think, and perhaps let me know if you'd like to see any of the following:  
Human Bill?  
Bill 'Trying' to 'Romance' reader, or any sort of genuine shipping?  
Bill not being above murder.


	16. Nightmare

The thought has been plaguing him all day. And every time he tried to chase it away it turned around and fought back as if it were going for blood.

He needed you.  
It was driving him mad. And despite how good he thought he was at pretending it wasn't, you still noticed the way he was acting. 

“Bill? Are you alright?” 

The two of you were sitting on your bed. You’d been reading silently to yourself, but occasionally casting glances in his direction. Worried about the way he just, angrily stared into nothing. His eye fixed on something you couldn't see in the corner of the room. 

“I'm fine. Just thinking.” 

“About what? Do you, want to talk about it?” 

You set your book down on the nightstand beside your bed, and turned to face him. Placing your hand over his small, yet almost painfully warm one. Bill didn't pull away from you, but he did turn to look at you. Properly facing you. And though his triangular form looked a little awkward in the context of the situation, He seemed to really be worried about something. 

“When you told me that I didn't have to be alone anymore, did you mean it?” 

You seemed shocked that he would ask such a question and rolled your eyes in response. Waving your hand dismissively at him. 

“Well, of course, Silly! I wouldn't have said it if I didn't!” you reached out and poked him with the hand you just waved, a little tap right at the center of his bowtie. “You’re stuck with me for the rest of your life.” 

“The rest of _ your_ life.” Bill corrected you, his eye-rolling. “I don't have a lifespan.” 

There was a hint of humor in his voice, but as he’d realized what he was saying, it fell away. He was working around a limited schedule with you. And the idea that he needed to take his time with getting you ready for things wasn't going to work out like he had planned irritated him. You had an expiration date, and he honestly didn't want to be there when it came around. 

Bill would zone out for a moment, not realizing you’d been speaking to him until you let out a soft sigh, and shook your head. 

“Bill, you’re doing it aga-”

“Hurry up and go to sleep, I have something I want to show you.” 

“What-Bill!” You chuffed at him, crossing your arms over your chest as you did. “Did you even hear what I said?” 

“Yeah, Of course. But that doesn't change what I said.” He waved one of his hands. “Just go to sleep.” 

You’d huff, and shift a bit. Tucking yourself under the covers and letting your head plop against the Pillow. You didn't close your eyes yet. 

Bill turned to face you. He was getting a bit irritated with your sudden insistence that the two of you were equals. Between your, demands from earlier and now your need to question him when he was trying to think about things or told you to do something. Though, after a moment of angry staring, you’d comply. Closing your eyes and getting comfortable in bed. Drifting off to sleep. 

Sleep wasn't an easy thing for you to keep ahold of. You were restless, and several times you found yourself waking up simply because you’d rolled over.   
You kept your eyes shut as you tossed and turned, but eventually you found yourself unable to fall back asleep, and rolled over to face Bill with a huff. Just to find that he was no longer beside you. This was the first time since you’d freed him from the statue, that you’d opened your eyes and not seen him right beside you. 

Sitting up, you looked around the room. It was the middle of the night, judging by the way the colors of the room seemed muted, and things were just unsettling enough to make you not want to be there. Slowly you made your way out of bed, your hands moving out in front of you as you sought through the darkness to find the other wall. Your eyes narrowed a tad. You couldn't see particularly well. 

“Bill? Are you here?” Your hands hit the wall sooner than you’d expected them to, and it almost startled you. “Bill?” 

Your voice shook when you called out. You couldn't figure out why you felt so, strange. So worried about him not being there. You were so hooked up on the idea that he might have decided to just, leave you behind that you barely noticed the strange, unusual texture on your wall. Which, instead of the normal drywall, was a strangely textured rock, It was sloped, and in some spaces, metal supports made sure that nothing collapsed. 

You never found the lightswitch, and briefly, for just a second, the possibility that you were dreaming flickered through your head. But the thought was distant and you barely had the chance to register that it was there. As the seconds past you found yourself getting more and more nervous. A bead of sweat forming on the side of your forehead and a painful lump in your throat. Your eyes watering from it. 

You’d started to turn, to face the rest of the room, but froze in place when you found that it was not your own. Instead of the familiar, comforting sights of your bed, and other furniture, you were faced with an empty room, a large triangular structure at the far end, barely illuminated by a glowing, swirling circle in the center. 

You fixed your eyes on the glow. The breath snatched from your lungs as you felt panic start to claw it's way up your throat, making your chest heave and your eyes water more than they already were.   
Time seemed to freeze around you, and nothing seemed to move for seemed like an hour, before suddenly you found yourself moving, against your control. Your body was lifted off of the ground and your balance was thrown off.   
A low hum filled the room. Quiet and loud at the same time, High and low. A screeching pitch that sounded like thunder and nails on a chalkboard, all at once. 

“Bill-” Your voice fell out of your mouth as something not much louder than a whisper. Hoarse and nowhere near as loud as you’d hoped it would be. “Bill-!” You tried again, but got similar results. 

The hum started to get louder, but as that happened it wasn't much of a hum. It was like TV static, closing in from all directions. Loud and almost painfully loud. Your hands found your ears, and you shook your head back and forth. Tears falling from your eyes as you panicked.   
Despite it all, though, You couldn't pull your eyes away from the glow. Images starting to flash in your mind. Of Bill, A town that barely registered as Gravity Falls, A couple of young children who looked suspiciously like the Pines Twins you knew and cared for. They were all angry, they were all fighting. A part of you felt like you knew what all of this was, but it was suppressed by the pure terror of not being in control of your situation. Of being forced to face the reality of the situation you were in. 

It was as if your mind was trying to force the idea that Bill was in fact, evil into its self. Showing you all of the horrible things he’d done. And you couldn't do anything to stop it.  
A choked sob tore its self from your throat, and the room around you started to feel warm, as if it were burning, but you couldn't bring yourself to be able to check. You lost your ability to focus on the flashing images, the glow in front of you. And before you knew it you were staring Bill in the eye. The Triangular frame and glow you’d been staring at being replaced by his form.   
Neither of you moved. But this wasn't Bill, Your brain knew it wasn't. He looked angry, but at the same time terrified. Frozen in time. And the longer you stared at it the more you felt it.   
The last thing you caught a glimpse of before you found yourself shooting up into a sitting position was of the statue, the one you’d sat within the woods for so long. Hand outstretched to the nothing, and it was gone. 

Your ears were ringing as your eyes popped open, you could feel your face wet with tears. It took you a moment to realize you were awake, As you raised your hands to your face and dried your cheeks with your sleeves. A few muffled beats barely processed in your head, which you shook to try and dispel them. Closing your eyes again. 

There was a hand on your shoulder. Unnaturally warm, and radiating with energy. Everything went silent as you were touched. 

“Kid,” Bills voice cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. Leaving a stream of foul-smelling steam and a few hissing pops in its wake. “Are you okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooch ouch, eech I'm not sure why I went the way I did with this but I promise it's going somewhere just not where I originally wanted to.


	17. Be Honest

“What,” Your voice cracked, and you paused to correct yourself. “What did you do?” 

Bill could tell by the tone of your voice that you were hurting in some way. It almost sounded like the words were tearing through your throat like knives, falling from your mouth in a desperate whisper. 

“What?” Bill practically flinched when you focused on him. Despite your crying, you looked angry, and he knew it was his fault. 

“What did you do?” you repeated, but this time you were a bit more demanding with your tone. “Why do they-The Pines family, The people in this town- Why do they hate you so much?” 

“I thought you said they to-” 

“I want to hear you say it.” you interrupted him. Your voice had become a little less shaky. You shifted the way you were sitting and point a finger at him. “And I want the truth.” 

Bill stared at you like you’d grown a second head. Maybe even a third and fourth. He was almost shocked. He should have figured you would be curious about the past at some point, but he never thought it would happen like this. He couldn't bring himself to question you though, and after a moment of being surprised, he’d settle back a bit, Hesitating just a moment, before he’d speak. 

“Well, Where should I start?” 

“Why do the Pines hate you, when did that start?” 

“The first of the Pines to hate me was Stanford.” He’d start there. “When and How I met him isn't that important, But, he doesn't like me due to some, things I’d done when we were actually ‘Friends’.” Bill even made the air quotes with his fingers when he said the word ‘friends’ pausing as he thought about what he was going to say next. 

“I asked him to help me build a portal and connect this world to the space between worlds.” Bill would pause once more, prepared to leave it at that, but he couldn't seem to stop the next thing he said from spilling out, as he locked his gaze with yours. “The nightmare realm. Except I didn't tell him what that was for. He realized that I wasn't, good after his buddy got sucked into the portal during a test run.” 

He's not good. Bill saying such a thing about himself had him feeling some kind of way and he wasn't sure what to do about it. He wasn't sure why he was even saying that. You may have wanted to know the truth, but he didn't owe it to you. 

“I-” Bill's eye narrowed as he stopped himself from speaking again, and instead he turned to you expectantly. Waiting for a reaction. 

“Keep going.” You shifted some more, sitting criss-cross on the bed, your hands in your lap as you watched him, expectantly. 

“I met the kids, Dipper, and Mabel when they were actually kids. They were the same age you were when you found me in the woods.” Bill's tone turned a bit more cautious. He wasn't sure if this was him willingly speaking now. Or if this was just some exercise of the power you mysteriously had. The power that you shouldn't have. He knew everything he chose to know. If you had taken any semblance of that from him, you were choosing to know this, choosing to make him tell you. 

“I’d been summoned by some twerp named Gideon, He asked me to get something from Stanley's memories, and the kids tried to stop me. Later on, I tricked Dipper into being a human puppet, and after his sister beat me out of his body, They’d wisened up a bit. I didn't really get to mess with them till the end of that summer. After Stanford was brought back from the other dimensions, A rift was created. I used it and tried to destroy this universe.” 

The explanation felt far too long for his taste, far too honest. Even if he’d somehow managed to leave out some things you’d probably want to know more about, he just, said too much. 

You seemed thoughtful for a moment. But remained silent, even when you turned to throw your legs over the edge of the bed and stand. You didn't say anything else to him as you left the room. Mulling over the things he’d said to you. You weren't sure what you thought of it. It wasn't anything you didn't already know about him, from what the Pines twins had told you, it was just from a different perspective. Both he and the Pines had only given you a brief rundown of the situation, but it was enough to make you want to know more. You didn't even know how you felt about the whole ordeal. But you knew you had made a promise to Bill. That he didn't have to be alone anymore. And at this rate, you were bound and determined to keep it. No matter what anyone else had to say about it.   
Even if it was less about being his friend, about helping him be nicer, and more about making sure he couldn't hurt anyone else.

Bill didn't move from the spot you’d left him in, he’d just sit there thoughtlessly for a moment as he tried to figure out what just happened. He’d had no access to your mindscape when you’d fallen asleep, which was unusual. Usually, there was nothing stopping him from entering your dreams, and it’d been that way since you’d freed him. He’d felt he had more freedom to come and go from your mind than he had ever had with anyone before, and yet he’d been shut out this time. And you woke up demanding answers. 

Things were going strangely. He didn't know if he was ready to deal with this yet. He only hoped that when the time came for you to make a decision, you made the choice to stay with him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave it to me to be busier during quarantine than ANY other time of my life. 
> 
> Im not smart enough to write down ideas when they come to me and the over all conflict I wanted to write into this has COMPLETELY left my brain so whoopsie.


	18. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted this chapter once before and I'm finally posting it again, after I admittedly jumped the gun a bit. Though I re-wrote some of it, a lot of it is still the same. Only the last two paragraphs and final line are identical to what was originally posted

It was painfully obvious that it was the first day of summer. School had just let out, and it was dreadfully warm.   
Still, you were outside nonetheless. Moving confidently down the sidewalk as you made your way through town. As you had told him, several weeks ago, the stans were coming back to visit the town of Gravity Falls, to visit their family, for the summer.

Bill couldn't bring himself to convince you not to go. After everything that had happened a few nights, maybe a week ago, he knew you were bound and determined to find out as much of the truth as you could, and he didn't think it’d be a good idea to try and stop you.  
Not only that, but you held an excited smile, and you walked with a certain gait that did everything to betray how much you’d been looking forwards to this. You were downright giddy over the fact that Dipper and Mabel had invited you to meet another part of their family. 

It almost worried Bill, how much you looked up to the Pines kids. At some point after all of the stories you’ve been told, you decided that they were living the exact kind of life you wish you had, full of mysteries and adventure around every corner. And you wanting to be like them could be anything but good for him. 

When Mabel took the time to remind you a second time that you were invited to meet the Stans, or more specifically, Stanford, you’d jumped at the opportunity. Though both she and Dipper had been reluctant to tell you anything about why the meeting was directed more towards their six-fingered uncle than the other, it would eventually be Mabel who would realize how strange the situation was. After all, they were old enough to be your parents, and while you were practically an adult yourself, they didn't want to scare you away from the situation.   
She’d explained that it was because Stanford knew more about Bill than Stanley did. He’d be the go-to source of explaining what these dreams and happenings could mean for you. And she left it at that. 

Bill was certain they both assumed that you were involved with him in more ways than you’d let on. You never told them about letting him out of the statue. Since that had happened, you’d never mentioned in your conversations that he was floating just a few feet away from you. Your ability to ignore him so easily when the Pines were around brought to his attention that you were an exceptional liar. You seemed innocent and were easy to believe. But when he asked about it, you simply said you try not to make a habit of being dishonest.   
But despite what he was certain the Pines thought of you, he knew they would never pass up the opportunity for a new adventure. 

Standing on the porch of the Mystery Shack, you were reaching for the door when you realized Bill wasn't beside you as he normally was. You turned to look at him and found him floating a few paces behind you. 

“Arent you coming?” 

“Cant. They’ve put a barrier around the shack to keep me out.” He reached forwards and tapped at the air, the field surrounding the shack lighting up for you to see.

“I'll be out here if you need me. Don't do anything stupid, and remember, I'll be watching.” His tone would lighten up a bit as he finished speaking, and with a final, cheery grin his way, you went inside.

You’d let yourself in through the gift shop. Jumping as you came face to face with one of the newest creature displays that they’d put up before you turned to face the register, where Mabel stood by herself. 

“You’re here!” she’d chimed, offering you one of the brightest, toothy-est smiles you’d ever seen on an adult, or, person in general.

“Of course!” you clapped your hands together and bounced towards her, easily matching her excitement. “I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now! This has been all I can think about for the past few days. I'm definitely ready to know more about what's been going on- It's been, years!” 

“I know, I know. This town can be weird sometimes.” She shook her head and waved her hand as if she were explaining away a bug. “But hopefully we can figure out how to put a stop to this! No one should have to deal with Bill, or anything involving him.” 

“I think I’m just more excited to meet the rest of your family,” You put your hands on your cheeks, smushing your face as you did. “Are they here yet?” 

“They sure are! Follow me!” 

Having properly caught her infectious attitude, you followed Mabel as she leads you through the ‘employees only’ door. You’d only been back there once when you first spoke to her and her brother about your dreams involving them and the statue, and it was only now dawning on you that they weren't aware you’d been lying about seeing them there too. They were eager to learn more, but despite this, Dipper insisted on waiting till their uncles came to town. After years of mishap and postponements, it was finally here. 

You were going to find out in more detail, Bills Impact on the lives of these people. The first friends you made in Gravity Falls. 

Mabel leads you to the kitchen, where she’d announce your arrival to the people standing there before she’d join the rest of her family. 

Typically, you’d be unable to contain your excitement at the prospect of meeting new people. You’d be all over the introductions and first impressions that came with such a thing, and would be more than ready to share any tidbit about yourself, if they happened to ask. But as Mabel moved from in front of you, and properly gave you a view of the three men standing in the kitchen, One, on his own by the coffee pot, watching the other two with tired eyes. While the other stood having a hushed conversation with Dipper. Until they fell silent and cast cautious, worried glances in your direction. 

Dipper had seemed so nice, albeit a tad nervous, until that moment. The look he gave you, you simply couldn't put it into words. But his expression made you feel sick to your stomach, as your eyes scanned the room searching for something other than a disapproving face, but found themselves drawn right back to his. Even Mabel seemed a bit confused. Which lead you to believe that whatever they’d been talking about, she hadn't been there to hear it. 

“Hi guys,” Your voice squeaked out of your throat without any semblance of grace or relaxation, which caused your shoulders to tense in turn. “Is something wrong?”


	19. Uncertainty

The silence that greeted you was heavy. It felt like you were being suffocated. The tension so thick you were certain it could be cut with a knife. But if that were to happen, the action might cause something to explode. If Mabel had noticed the tension, She decided to completely ignore it.

“What's going on? What did I miss?” 

Stanford was the first person to return to action. Standing straight from where he’d been leaning on the counter next to dipper, and stepping towards you. He held one of his hands out in your direction, to shake. You hesitated a moment, Bills warning of not trusting the Pines Family, From way back when you first had the chance to speak to him, quickly popped into your brain.   
You blinked slowly, then forced the idea away, offering Stanford a sheepish smile as you reached out to accept the handshake. 

“It's nice to meet you.” He would address you by name, as he gave your hand a firm shake. His eyes never leaving your face. “You’ve some peculiarly colored eyes. Have they always been yellow?” 

“Uh yeah,” You’d nod, “ For as long as I can remember, at least. I don't have any baby pictures that aren't in the attic.” 

“Does anyone in your family have yellow eyes?” 

“Not that I know of. My fathers are brown,” 

“What about your mum-” 

“Alright! Hold on just a second.” Mabel would interrupt Stanford's interrogation. 

It wasn't until she’d spoken that you realized how aggressive his tone seemed to have become, and you were quick to take a few steps backward, pulling your hand from his as you went to hide behind the older woman.

“Will one of you please tell me what I’ve missed?” Mabel seemed exasperated. Clearly upset by being left out of the loop.

Stanford hardly noticed you pulling away from him, and mindlessly, he’d straighten up. Putting both of his hands together behind his back. 

“Dipper was simply telling me about this young lady here.” Stanford shrugged his shoulders and gestured to you with a tilt of his head. “He’s already explained the situation, her eye color, and her dreams of Bill.” 

When he mentioned Bill, His tone became noticeably harsher, and you Cringed, resting your hand on the back of Mabel's shirt. 

“Dipper!” Mabel looked at her brother, seeming almost properly offended. “I told you not to say anything without me.” 

“I got tired of waiting, Mabel. It's not like I told him anything that wasn't true.” Dipper raised one of his hands as if to defend himself

“But I know how you are,” She gestured at him with both of her arms. “You like to insert all of your weird little theories about everything you’ve ever thought of into a conversation.” 

“That's not true!” 

“Let me guess,” Mabel went on, ignoring her brother's indignant huff. “You told Grunkle Ford that you think her dreams about Bill are directly related to her eyes, and the statue going missing. Dip, We don't know if she still has these dreams. It's been years since we’ve talked about it and it's not like she knows where it's at! Look at her, She’d never stand a chance against half the things in those woods, do you really think she’d go out there alone?” 

Silence fell, as the two men seemed to consider what Mabel said. Stanfords face becoming blank as he fell into his thoughts, and the other older man, You assumed his brother, Stanley, Sipped his coffee in a rather loud manner, Before he turned, and left the room. He hadn't said anything the entire time you’d been there, and frankly, you’d nearly forgotten he was there at all, but he seemed to decide he didn't need or want to be present for this conversation.

“It's better safe than sorry, Mabel.” Stanford was the next person to speak, looking to her with a stern gaze. 

“Do you still have those dreams?” Dipper focused on you now, and from where you stood, practically hidden behind Mabel, you shook your head. 

“No, I haven't had them for a while now.” You’d cross your arms over your stomach, thoughtful. “Not since the middle of last year.” 

Stanford was quiet as he considered the circumstances, His expression unchanging, but you could tell there was something off. There was a look in his eyes that just seemed, dangerous. So much so even dipper was put off by it. At least you thought as much. It took you a moment to realize that Dipper wasn't looking at his Uncle, and hadn't been for a minute now, so there was no way he could have noticed it. Instead, Dipper's uncertainty was aimed at you. 

Mabel no longer seemed so intent on shielding you from her family, taking a step towards you so she could face you. While she seemed absolutely shocked that they would ever consider you were a danger, based on the idea that there was just something slightly not normal about you, you could tell that you were losing her too, and it made you feel incredibly alone. 

“That's, almost funny.” Stanford would raise his hand to his chin as he thought aloud. “The statue is gone, and your dreams seem to have stopped happening around the same time.” 

You nearly flinched when he spoke, hugging yourself tightly, turning pleading eyes to Mabel. 

“That is odd.” Dipper would agree with his uncle. “I'm, not sure what to make of it though.” 

“There's only one time I’ve ever encountered someone with yellow eyes.” Mabel would take a step back, fidgeting with the sleeves of her shirt. 

You hadn't felt so lost since your mother passed. Staring at the twins you’d looked up to for so long, who now looked at you as though you were a rat, and the year was 1346. For a moment, everything felt like a bad dream, as if none of this was real, and everything they had said was just your imagination running wild. 

“You’ve met someone else with yellow eyes?” Your voice was soft as if you were scared just opening your mouth would turn them into some sort of monsters. 

“Yeah.” Mabel took another step back. “When we were kids, Bill possessed Dipper” 

“What?” Your stomach did flips, churning around as if it were trying to escape your body. “You never told me about that.” 

You took a slow step backward, and as you did, noticed a flash of yellow appear over Stanford's shoulder.

Hovering just outside the window, too far from the house for you to properly make out the look in his eyes, you noticed Bill. You couldn't figure out what he was trying to say, but his color pulsed as though he were trying to speak to you. Something was wrong. 

Stanford was the only one to notice you weren't looking at them, but rather past them. And he’d reach out to touch Mabel's shoulder blade. Instinctively, she stepped back towards him, planting herself beside her brother. 

“What are you looking at?” Dipper would be the one to question you, looking between you and the window behind them. 

“I, well- Nothing,” You had started to try and explain yourself, but you didn't get the chance to, as Stanford would cut you off.

“She’s looking at Bill.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the unplanned Hiatus I promise I'm not abandoning this I'm just super busy.

**Author's Note:**

> I thrive on constructive criticism.  
I also love being given ideas for things because I don't always have the brain capacity to think for myself. So feel free to fire off on things you think could be done better, on things you'd like to see written out, or ways you want things to go.


End file.
